Flawless
by Fiiaa
Summary: The other factions believe that he turned his back to Jeanine and Max because he wanted to save the city. Everyone falls for his act, but she sees the real him. The people who question him wonder if she can melt his icy heart and make an honest man out of him. No War.
1. A New Beginning

**Flawless**

I do not own Divergent, Veronica Roth does.  
1. All characters are portrayed by the actors of the movie.  
2. There is no divergent haunt.  
3 There is no social experiment.

**Chapter 1 – A New Beginning**

* * *

Eric glanced up from his tablet when Four and Tris showed up at the meeting room. Tori was seated on his right and Harrison on his left. The stiffs looked completely bewildered to see him in the room, which humored him more. Tris slowly walked over to Tori, not taking her eyes of Eric. The hatred in her eyes was so vivid he could almost feel her suffocate him with just one glance. Yes, this would be a very interesting meeting. The stiffs would not like the outcome of it.

"What is he doing here?" She hissed.

She looked as if she wanted to reach over the table and strangle him, and he wasn't the only one who noticed. Four stood next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Four glanced down at Tori, "I thought the Dauntless leaders were having a meeting? What is going on here?"

Tori straightened her back and stood up, probably because she didn't want to be intimidated by Four and Tris. Eric just watched the scene unravel in front of him, trying hard not to look too amused. He had known the stiffs would not accept this without a fight, yet they could not do anything or say anything to change the outcome of this meeting. His strategy had been flawless. The other leaders were full of praise of him, Dauntless had to accept him otherwise the other factions wouldn't be pleased, causing Dauntless to fall apart.

"This is a Dauntless meeting." Tori explained calmly, "Eric is a Dauntless leader."

Tris looked at Tori as if she lost her mind, "He haunted divergents!" She exclaimed, "He worked together with Jeanine and Max." She added exasperated, "And he tried to kill us!"

"He took in Jeanine, and delivered her to the other faction leaders." Tori explained calmly, "They are currently discussing what her faith will be. But I have no doubt that she'll be getting the death serum pretty soon." Tori took a seat again, and gestured for Four and Trist to sit down as well, "As for Max, he is unfortunately no longer with us because Eric had to take him down."

Four met Eric's gaze, "You were just being your calculating self." Four glanced at Harrison before he met Tori's eyes again, "He is manipulating you, can't you see that? Like hell he suddenly had a change of heart and figured he'd wanted to save the factions."

Eric stood up, no longer wanting to listen to their reasoning. Of course Four and his little girlfriend were right. He figured soon enough that Jeanine's plan was doomed and he had to think of a way to come out of this unharmed. Taking down Max and delivering Jeanine to the other factions was easy, and the best strategy he had come up with. The factions were so pleased with his work, Tori and Harrison just had to accept him as Max's replacement. The main leader of Dauntless who played a main part in stopping the faction war.

"Just head to Candor and see for yourself." Eric quietly responded, grabbing his tablet and handing it to Four who suspiciously read the article, "Jeanine and Max were the threat to our system and have been taken down. Now the factions are focusing on rebuilding their homes and keeping the city safe. Our main object here is keeping the peace with other factions."

"So he makes the decisions now?" Four asked quietly, "Exactly how he wanted things to go."

Tori didn't seem too happy about this situation either, but in order to keep the peace with other factions they had no choice. Just like he had planned from the beginning. It was very entertaining to see them so conflicted . If he had time Eric would just sit back and enjoy this moment some more, but he didn't. The meeting in Candor would soon be ending and Dauntless had to show up to let the other factions know that they were not falling apart. They'd rise from the ashes and come out stronger than ever.

"This is how it is." Tori raised her voice a little, "And you two need to accept that. We need to keep moving forward and start focusing on rebuilding our faction."

Eric leaned his hands on the table and met Four's defiant gaze, "We have two vacant leaderships spots. I've suggested to Harrison and Tori that you'll be perfect for the job." He smirked when he noticed the dark look that flashed through Four's eyes, "That is if you have resolved whatever daddy issues you had."

Eric knew that Four would take the job, not because he wanted the position, but because he wanted to keep an eye on him. He didn't care though, offering this job to Four was not something he wanted to do, it had to be done. This way he earned both Harrison's and Tori's trust a little. It was the only way to keep his current position.

"I'll take it." Four grunted.

Eric smirked, of course Four took the job. Everything went as he predicted.

"Good." Eric sat back down in his chair, "That means we only have one more spot to fill." Both Harrison and Tori nodded, "We'll find a recruit soon enough. Since that's out of the way we should discuss the upcoming choosing ceremony."

Tris frowned, "There will be a new choosing ceremony?"

Eric nodded, "Of course. The faction leaders want to maintain order in society."

"The next initiation is in nine months." Tori continued, "To maintain order and peace it's important to uphold traditions."

Eric took the tablet from Four, glancing at the time. He wanted to taunt the stiffs some more but the meeting at Candor was really cutting it close now. He stood up and glanced at Four. It was best if he suggested that Four tagged along. It was the only way to ensure the others would slowly trust him again. If he showed that he had no problems with Four or his little girlfriend, everyone would slowly start to believe that what he did was sincere.

"Tori and Harrison will discuss the upcoming ceremony and initiation with Tris. I'd like you to accompany me to the faction meeting in Candor." Eric told Four who still looked like he bit on something sour, "I figured you'd like to come since you don't trust me."

"Damn right I don't trust you." Four muttered, glancing at Tris who looked just as worried as him, "I'll tag along, I don't trust you to go at this meeting all by yourself."

Eric gestured for Four to head out first and followed after the tense stiff. He turned when Tris called his name and lifted an eyebrow at her in question.

"What?" He asked annoyed.

He narrowed his eyes on her when she smirked, her eyes glistering with mischief, "How is the foot?"

He cursed under his breath. She wanted to piss him off by asking that question, and he almost fell for it. He needed to stay calm. Inhaling deeply he managed to calm himself down and smirked at Four's little girlfriend.

"Since you only shot me in the foot I'll be perfectly fine." He answered calmly, "I can see that you're doing fine as well." He added and walked past Four, not giving his girlfriend time to respond.

* * *

Nina flicked her dark hair back and observed the closed doors that led to the large meeting room. All the faction leaders were cooped up in one room, discussing Jeanine's faith and the future of the city. She had no doubt that Jeanine was done for. They had the facts and the truth serum only strengthen their theory. Jeanine had wanted all the power and control, and she must pay the price with her life. Nina turned around when she heard heavy footsteps coming her way. Jack told her that the Dauntless leaders would be arriving later since they had private matters to attend. He could not lie to her so he didn't tell her more. She had a feeling though. Dauntless almost fell apart because of the betrayal of two leaders. It was a complete shock to her when one of those leaders entered the hall and headed straight for her. The man walking next to the traitor didn't look pleased either. Thank god, it was not just her.

"Dauntless representatives?" She asked them, her eyes staying on the traitor in front of her.

He stared straight into her eyes, it almost felt like he looked straight into her soul. Making her shift uncomfortably. She had a feeling he could see all her flaws, all her weaknesses and she did not like that feeling. This man was dangerous, he was the last person who you wanted to indulge with your deep, dark secrets.

"Yes. Jack is expecting us." He answered gruffly.

Nina straightened her back and observed the traitor's face. His eyes were an interesting mixture of blue and gray, the piercings above his eyebrow stood out, but did not harm his handsome face. It only made him look sexier in her eyes. Why did the bad boys always look this good? She inhaled sharply when she noticed the amused glistering in the traitor's eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking. She quickly looked away, blushing in embarrassment. Turning on her heels, she headed to the heavy doors instead. It was the only way to distract herself from the sexy Dauntless leader.

"Right this way, please." She said quietly, keeping her eyes on the traitor's partner instead, "Jack told me to let you in when you arrived."

"Thanks." The traitor's partner mumbled.

She held the door open for them and watched them enter the room. Her heart started beating faster when the traitor stopped beside her. His amused eyes wondering over her body. For a minute she feared that he could hear her beating heart.

"What's with that look kid?"

She snapped her head in his direction, and met his amused gaze. She had never felt more insulted in her life before. He just openly checked her out and then criticized her.

"Kid?" She repeated quietly, since she still held the door open to the meeting room, "I'm almost sixteen and will be no longer a dependant, and who the hell are you to judge me?"

He stepped closer to her, towering over her with his impressive body, "I'm a Dauntless leader, and you're still just a kid." His tone was calm, but it didn't make him sound less intimidating, "Watch how you talk to me. It's disrespectful to raise your voice to a faction leader."

"You don't deserve my respect." She hissed, "How the hell are you still a Dauntless leader? You've betrayed your own faction! You don't deserve to be in a leadership position-"

She gasped when she felt a strong grip on her arm, but it wasn't the traitor who grabbed her arm. It was Jack. Apparently her conversation with the traitor caught everyone's attention. She pressed her lips together when her faction leader threw her a stern look. She was in trouble now.

"Apologize, Nina. Eric is the representative of Dauntless, we show the other factions the respect they deserve."

"But he-"

"He stopped a Dauntless leader from murdering innocent people, and he delivered Jeanine Matthews to the government. We show him some respect."

Nina didn't look at Eric as she apologized. Whatever Jack just told her didn't change her mind about this man. She just couldn't believe that one of the people who haunted divergents and worked alongside with Jeanine Matthews just suddenly decided to turn good and stop the war. He didn't look like that guy. He looked calculating and cold, he was the perfect partner in crime of Jeanine Matthews. Why did no one else see this? She then remembered the look of his partner and realized that she might not be the only one who was annoyed with this traitor's presence.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness." She mumbled.

She felt Eric's eyes on her face, but she refused to look at him, "Don't be too hard on her, Jack. She was only telling me what was on her mind As I recall Candor believes that secrets cause conflict, so this kid telling me what she thinks of me is exactly what a Candor does to avoid conflict, right?"

That caught her attention. Eric somehow defended her in front of Jack. It was a trait in their faction to tell people exactly what was on their minds. They had no control over it and this dangerous looking man just used the only excuse that could save her from punishment, the question was why?

"Help the people who are in the waiting room." Jack muttered, sounding unsure because he was probably just as shocked as her by Eric's excuse, "I'll talk to you later, Nina."

Nina took a glance at Eric, feeling her blood boil when she noticed the mocking look in his eyes. Whatever he just told Jack was a load of crap. She should watch her back around this guy. He was manipulative and apparently everyone fell for his lies.  
She turned on her heels because she didn't want to upset Jack even more. Everyone was annoyed because of the war, even if it was a short period of time, it completely broke everyone's trust in the system. They were trying to store the peace, but it would take some time to restore everyone's faith. That made all the faction leaders anxious.

"Lead the way, Jack." She heard Eric say before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

Eric felt Four's eyes piercing his back as they walked through the narrow hallway leading to the meeting room. He opened the door and gestured to Four to enter first. He smirked when Four threw him a dirty look and walked right past him, heading to the table where Tori, Harrison and Tris were discussing the upcoming changes of Dauntless. Tris did not look happy, which only meant that things were going the way he wanted it to go.

Tris turned to look at Four, "How did it go?" She sounded tired, she was probably exhausted by her attempts to change Tori and Harrison's decision about Eric's involvement in Dauntless.

"Jeanine is getting the death serum tomorrow. Erudite will be on strict rules, as well for Dauntless."

"What does that mean?" Tori asked curiously.

Eric moved to the chair next to Tori, keeping his distance from the hostile looking stiffs. It had been a long day and spending time with Four who looked like he wanted to push him off the train was quite exhausting.

"It means that we have to become more transparent." Eric explained, "The other factions want to know what we're up to almost every day."

"So we have to report to Abnegation?" Harrison asked confused.

Eric shook his head, "We have to make a daily reports to Candor, since they can tell if we are lying or not. Basically the other factions no longer trusts us so we have to proof ourselves."

Tris snorted, "Can you blame them? Dauntless was supposed to protect the people, instead they attacked them."

Eric knew he had to keep calm, because the stiff was actually summing up the facts. Dauntless screwed up in the eyes of the other factions and now they had to proof themselves worthy again. It would take time but he was certain they could rebuild the faction again.

"We'll do what they asked of us." Eric said after a minute of silence, "In the mean time we'll focus filling up the vacant jobs. Have you decided on new trainers for the upcoming initiation?"

The initiation reminded him of the Candor girl who defiantly glared at him. Her piercing blue eyes caught his attention, they were so full of emotion. He had seen how much she hated that he could read every single emotion she was feeling. That had been an interesting conversation he wouldn't forget. He saw every single emotion she was feeling, and she saw him. She saw the real him in that split moment. He needed to keep an eye on that girl.

"We didn't get to that yet." Harrison admitted, "We had an interesting debate."

The debate was most likely about Eric, so he didn't ask for details, "Since Four is now a Dauntless leader I think he should focus on his leadership and step down as a trainer. Juggling three jobs will be too much."

Harrison nodded, "I agree. Supervising the control room should be your main concern."

"That means we have two spots to fill." Tori continued, "You have anyone in mind for the control room Four?"

Four did not seem happy to step down from the jobs he loved, but Eric knew that Four wouldn't change his mind about the leadership position. It was the only way for Four to keep track of him. Four glanced at his little girlfriend, and for a minute Eric thought Four would suggest his girlfriend would be perfect for the job.

"We lost a good initiate during the war, he was the one I had my eyes on." Four straightened in his seat, "I have no one particularly in mind."

"The Erudite kid." Eric noticed how uncomfortable Tris became and narrowed his eyes on her, "You need to find someone else to fill that position soon." He knew the stiffs would hate him even more but he needed Tris to leave the room, "Since the important subjects are off the table I suggest _Tris _leaves the room." It was weird to say her name but he knew if he called her stiff at that moment they'd probably figure he was not as sincere about everything as he pretended to be.

"You can't kick me out-"

"This is a meeting amongst Dauntless leaders, Tris." Tori reminded her, "You're not supposed to be here." She softened her tone a little, "I'm sure Four will inform you about everything once the meeting is over."

She still seemed reluctant to leave and Eric knew he was the cause of it. She threw him a dirty look when she got to her feet and walked out of the room. She closed the door quietly behind her but it was as if she slammed it shut.

"We should inform the members about the future of Dauntless." Harrison said once the tension slightly faded in the room, "They're restless because no one knows what's going on. We need to get order back at Dauntless."

"It's a perfect opportunity for Four to use his power as a Dauntless leader." Eric smirked when Four shot him another glare, "The members trust you, they'll listen to you when you tell them about the future of Dauntless."

Four didn't seem pleased with this decision but he didn't protest either. After the main subjects were off the table they discussed the upcoming initiation. New trainers needed to be selected. The compound needed to be cleaned up and some cameras needed to get fixed. It would be a long day, but Eric wasn't complaining. In the end he got exactly what he always wanted. He was now a Dauntless leader without owning anyone any favors. Turning his back to Jeanine and Max had been the best thing he had ever done.

* * *

Nina kicked off her shoes and dropped down on her bed, cursing that arrogant Dauntless leader and his manipulative ways. He totally charmed Jack over and as punishment for insulting a faction leader she had to play host for the next few months to learn how to respect other faction leaders. That was sweet talking her punishment though. In reality it was a cruel joke. She insulted Eric and now she needed to kiss his ass for the next few months. Jack really knew how to play a cruel joke on her.

She sat up when her brother entered her room, "It's only you and me, Nina, and I know that you have problems with keeping your thoughts to yourself, but you really need to try. I'm doubting you have any self preservation."

Nina played with the hem of her black shirt, feeling her brother's concerned eyes on her face, "He just pissed me off." She mumbled, "I couldn't keep my mouth shut-"

"Your temper got in the way." Her brother interrupted her, "Do you think that's a trait Candor possesses?"

Nina smirked. She knew exactly what her brother was saying here, "So I need to respect that asshole because I might not be Candor. Isn't that calculating of you, William?"

He rolled his eyes at me, "Just remember that your choosing ceremony will be in a few months. It's best not to make a faction leader your enemy. They have all the power when it comes to your faith."

She nodded. She knew her brother was right about everything. She needed to find a way to keep her temper in check when Eric was around. William mentioned her choosing ceremony for a reason. He did not believe she'd stay Candor for long. He only wanted her safe.

"I might become his next best friend." She said trying to lighten the mood, "I'll be seeing him a lot in the next few months."

"Because of the reports." William mumbled, "I see Jack found a fitting punishment for you."

She didn't find it fitting at all, "It's a cruel joke." She whispered, "I'll be on my best behavior though. You're right about my future, I shouldn't make him my enemy."

William's gaze softened. He sat down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "You can always try and be more Candor."

She felt him lightly squeeze her shoulder, trying to make her see reason, "We still have a few months left before I have to make a decision."

Her answer was not what William wanted to hear, but he didn't pressure her for it either. William was smart enough to know that she no longer wanted to discuss her future. The choosing ceremony was nine months away and right now the obstacle she had to overcome was her punishment, making peace with Eric was not going to be easy. She had her opinion of him and it was hard to keep all her opinions to herself.


	2. Dauntless Soldier

**Chapter 2 – Dauntless Soldier**

_Nine months later, a day before the choosing ceremony._

* * *

Nina was scanning the paperwork she needed to sort for her brother when she heard the heavy footsteps of the infamous Dauntless leader. She had her back to the door but the frightened look of the administration lady in front of her told her that he was already in the room.  
A small smirk spread across her face as she focused on the sound of his footsteps. Her heart started beating faster and faster as he got closer to her. She inhaled deeply when she felt his presence behind her and grabbed onto his wrist when he placed it on her arm and spun them around, pushing him against the counter of the administration lady who quickly made an excuse of getting some more coffee. His eyes were glistering with amusement as he looked down at her.

"Close enough." He grabbed onto her wrist that was keeping his arm locked behind his back and easily turned the tables on her, "You probably wouldn't suck as much as the other Dauntless transfers this year." He pressed her harder against the counter.

She sighed in relief when he loosened his grip on her, "Isn't it too early to make assumptions?" She rubbed her wrist once he completely released her and ignored the mocking look in his eyes, "Besides we've been through that almost a hundred times so I had to succeed sooner or later."

He folded his arms across his chest, causing the sleeves of his military jacket to tighten around his biceps. Eric definitely was quite intimidating as a Dauntless soldier, she could understand why people always moved out of his way when he stepped into the room. From all the times she has met him she could also conclude that he liked it when people feared him. That's why she started playing this little game, to challenge him, and he seemed to like it. He actually did taught her how to be alert.

" This is the first time you actually succeeded in _capturing_ me." She bit back a smile when she saw him roll his eyes, "You just don't have enough strength. If you train hard enough you might actually surprise me next time."

She feigned surprise, clasping her hand in front of her mouth, "Are you saying you went easy on me all this time." She snorted, placing her hands on her hips, "I knew you were just messing with me."

Eric glanced over her shoulder, eying Jack's office, "We had to keep it light between us right, kid?" He asked, meeting her eyes again, "Whatever you do decide tomorrow, just know that I wouldn't teach a random kid that move without thinking you could actually be a decent soldier one day."

Looking past the insults Nina felt like he kind of complimented her. It was as if he was saying that she wasn't half that bad. She still didn't like it when he called her a kid though.

"So you taught me that move because you assumed I'd choose Dauntless at the ceremony?" She asked curiously, "Here I thought you were annoyed with me speaking my mind all the time. Why would you want me around you for the rest of your Dauntless existence?"

He stepped forward, towering over her with his height. She came to realize after a few days of meeting with Eric that he loved to intimidate people with his height and massive biceps. At first he did make her anxious whenever he used that tactic to scare her, but she was used to it now. She still held her breath whenever he got that dark look in his eyes, but she no longer wanted to bolt out of the room.

"I've known you for almost nine months now. " Eric spoke quietly, his eyes analyzing her face, "And after meeting you once I knew exactly what faction you belonged to."

She looked away from his analyzing gaze. It made her nervous and him invading her personal bubble only made the feeling worse. She pressed her back against the counter again to create a bit more distance between her and Eric.

"Obviously it's a Candor trait I can't seem to shake off." She whispered, feeling a lot smaller than she was because of his intimidating height.

He placed his hands on the flat surface of the counter, caging her between him and the counter. Her breathing deepened as she tried to ignore the feeling of fear. She could feel him smiling at her and knew that she had to look at him to show him that she wouldn't let him intimidate her. She lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eyes, making sure to keep all the emotions hidden.

"That defiant look in your eyes, that's Dauntless all the way."He smirked, his eyes sparkling with victory, "Brave and not afraid to face your fears."

She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, because he always liked to have his way, but she couldn't lie. Her aptitude test agreed with Eric on this one. She was apparently Dauntless.

"Jack is waiting." She mumbled, trying to change the subject, "I guess this is the last time we'll be playing that game." She said trying to say some sort of goodbye to the Dauntless leader.

Eric finally stepped back, "You sucked at it anyway." He chuckled when she threw him a glare and walked past her, "Dauntless is not a place for disrespectful brats." He added before he disappeared into Jack's office.

She flipped him off but he didn't see it, she had a feeling that he still knew about it though. Somehow Eric knew everything. He manipulated all the other faction leaders and somehow managed to climb the social ladder. The other factions no longer associated the Divergent haunt or the war with Eric, but she didn't forget about that. Whenever she looked into his eyes she could still see that calculating man who she met nine months ago. If she did decide to choose Dauntless she had to keep her eye on him.

* * *

Eric entered the Dauntless compound only to be greeted by a cranky looking Tori. Over the last few months he had learned to keep his distance from Tori whenever she was in one of those moods. It was dangerous and he always struggled with keeping his posture.

"Didn't expect to get a welcome back greeting." He felt Tori throw him a glare and bit back a smirk, "The meeting with Jack went fine. The other factions are content with our progress so far."

"That's great." She didn't seem excited about the news though, "Four is going to guide the new trainer for this year's initiation, but who is going to oversee the control room? We're not prepared for this yet, Eric."

Eric didn't worry as much about these matters as Tori, his main concern was earning the trust of the other factions, and they finally succeeded.

"Harrison offered to oversee the control room while Four focuses on training the new instructor." Eric pushed through the heavy door that led to the cafeteria and gestured for Tori to lead the way to their table.

"Initiation is a serious matter, maybe we should have let Tris be the new instructor for the transfers since she was first in her initiation class."

Eric lifted an eyebrow at Tori in question, "The decision has already been made, Tori. Christina is training the transfers alongside Four this year." He tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, "Tris is getting prepped for the leadership position, I thought that we all agreed on this weeks ago?"

Tori sighed tiredly, rubbing her temples. They had been working day and night to get Dauntless back on track so he knew that they all were exhausted and irritated. He offered Tori a plate and saw how her gaze softened toward him.

"It's been a long day. Let's forget about the initiation and other crap for a while and just enjoy dinner, okay?"

She actually smiled and started filling up her plate, "You're right."

He usually was, but he didn't mention that to Tori. After a few minutes Harrison, Four and Tris joined them at the table. He knew the stiffs still didn't trust him, but after all this time they still couldn't proof the other factions wrong. He ensured his position as a Dauntless leader and they couldn't change that anymore.

"How did the meeting go at Candor?" Four asked after an awkward minute of silence.

Four couldn't make it to the meeting this time because he was prepping Christina for the upcoming initiation. Peter had been his choice but the other leaders agreed with Four when he said that Peter was not fit to be an instructor.

"Jack assured me that the other factions are pleased with our work so far." Eric explained calmly, ignoring the hostile glances he received from Four's little girlfriend, "We're getting there."

"To the point where we no longer need babysitting?" Four asked.

Tori snorted, "We had to keep this up for a year, right? So I'm guessing that in three months everything will go back to the way it used to be."

"Certain things can never be forgotten." Tris mumbled.

She didn't say it out loud but Eric knew exactly what she was suggesting with her words. The tension at their table was getting out of hand. He didn't want the other members to catch a glimpse of their little disagreements so he quickly changed the subject.

Eric started to cut his hamburger into little pieces, trying to vent his anger out on something else besides Four and his little girlfriend, "You think that Christina is ready for initiation tomorrow?"

Four's shoulders actually slumped and the hostile look in his eyes faded, "Yes, she is excited about this."Eric noticed again how uncomfortable Tris got whenever they were talking about Christina, he started to wonder what the hell happened between the two, "Initiation should go smoothly this year."

He wasn't too happy about the new rules they set up, but Four reminded him that they were no longer seeking out the toughest and cruelest initiates because they were no longer prepping for war. Four loved to throw that in his face over and over again.

"I don't think the transfer group will be as large as last year." Harrison remarked, "Even though we're starting to earn back the trust of other factions, they're still cautious of us."

Eric ate the last pieces of his hamburger and left the table. He headed straight for the training room and decided to take out his frustrations on the punching bag. After a good fifteen minutes of punching the hell out of the punching bag, he finally shifted his attention to the girl who observed him since she entered the room.

"Worried?" She asked once she noticed she had his attention.

He stepped away from the punching bag, shrugging his jacket off and throwing it aside. He caught the towel she threw at him and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"It's been a long day." He murmured, "What do you want from me stiff?"

She pouted her lips as she observed him closely, "What makes you think I want anything from you?" She asked.

"So you were just observing my skills?" He asked, not being able to hide the sarcasm in his voice, "Getting to know your enemy, stiff?" He smirked when he saw her step back, "I mean that's what I am, right?"

"Everyone might have been fooled by your act, but you don't fool me, Eric." The firm tone she used was to be admired, he guessed the prepping she got for the leadership position was paying off, "You're an Erudite in Dauntless clothing."

He raised his eyebrow at her in question, "Meaning?"

He was quite intrigued by her theories about him. He knew she was intelligent enough to figure out his plan, but the only thing that lacked was proof. So she couldn't get rid of him even if she wanted to, and he knew she and Four wanted him out of Dauntless.

"Meaning you can manipulate everyone around you just like Jeanine." She folded her arms across her chest.

He knew Tris comparing him to Jeanine was probably an insult, but he didn't see it that way. Jeanine could be admired for her achievements. Her plan to overthrow another faction had been too ambitious though. He didn't see a future for it and in the end he had been right to focus on his own future instead. Here he was, a main leader of Dauntless, leading a faction everyone thought was doomed to fail.

"Are you going to make your point today?" He asked, picking his jacket up and throwing it over his shoulder.

She watched him cautiously, "I need to go over tomorrow's schedule with you." She grabbed the papers she had put down on the training mat and handed it to him, "Just to make sure we're all on the same page here."

He scanned through the papers, taking it all in. Everything they discussed was there so he had no problem with it, "Looks good to me, stiff." He handed them back to her, "You think you can handle the rooftop speech?"

"I can handle it." She replied coolly, "I've seen you in action, can't be that hard."

"I love to stay here and listen to your insults all day, but I have work to catch up with." He walked past her, his shoulder bumping into hers but he had to hand it to her she stood her ground firmly and just smirked when he walked away.

* * *

Nina played around with her ice-cream, turning it into a vanilla milkshake. She felt William's eyes on her, but her thoughts were clouding her mind so much she couldn't focus. She gasped when she felt her brother's hand on her arm, pulling her out of her chaotic mind.

"You're starting to worry me." He eyed her carefully, "You've already done the aptitude test, the hard part is over, Nina."

She leaned her head back against the couch, "The test wasn't the hard part. Choosing which faction you'll live in the rest of your life is the hard part, William. If I choose another faction I might not see you again." She closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down, "Faction before blood." She whispered.

"Whatever you decide I'll support it." He told her carefully, "But promise me you'll choose a faction you honestly believe you belong to. Don't choose a faction to please others."

She snapped her head in her brother's direction, "I don't want to leave you." She admitted to him, "I think I know what faction to choose, I just don't want to. I don't want to be alone."

William's look was filled with sympathy. It was the first time she had ever seen so much emotion in her brother's eyes and it almost drove her to tears.

"You won't be alone. You'll have a new family at your new faction, and you'll be happy. You'll be in the place you belong to."

She wanted to kick herself when her mind wondered to Eric. She didn't know why he suddenly appeared in her thoughts but he was the last person she should give a crap about. She clenched her fist around the spoon, worrying William even more.

He grabbed her bowl away from her, "I think you've had enough ice-cream for today." He placed the bowl on the table, "You should head to bed soon, you'll have a long day tomorrow."

She always wondered about her brother, sometimes he seemed too Candor but other times he reminded her of an Erudite. She didn't dare to ask him the question though. It didn't matter anymore. Divergents were no longer haunted so if he was one, he'd be safe anyway.

"Promise me that if I do decide to change factions you'll visit me on visiting day."

"I promise I'll be there." He placed his hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezed it, "You'll be fine, Nina."

She got off the couch and headed to her room. William was right about one thing, she needed to rest. The choosing ceremony tomorrow and the start of initiation would take up a lot of energy.

* * *

_The next day._

Johanna's speech for this year's choosing ceremony was quick and full of energy. It clearly represented Amity. Nina glanced at her brother and saw the look in his eyes. William was prepared for this day, he knew what she'd do. She reminded herself that her brother had been right. The only place she could be truly happy was the place she honestly believed she'd belong to. That was definitely not Candor.  
After Johanna's energetic speech the names got called, and it was no surprise to anyone that Dauntless didn't get much transfers this year. There were a lot of Dauntless born who opted for their faction, but only five transfers so far. People still didn't trust that faction, and she started to wonder if she was insane for choosing a faction which had a very dangerous man as their main leader.

"Nina Gray."

She glanced at her brother one last time and smiled when she saw the approval in his eyes. He wasn't worried so why was she? She got to her feet and made her way to the stage, taking a deep breath as she picked up the knife. Her eyes stayed on the bowl filled with glass as she cut her palm. Candor was where her brother lived, but it was not the right place for her. She lifted her palm to the bowl filled with coals and let the blood drop onto the burning coals. The sizzling sound of the coals echoed through her mind as she turned around and slowly stepped off the stage, heading to the cheering crowd of black and red.

"Abnegation actually had more transfers than Dauntless this years." A blonde Dauntless born girl next to Nina said, "That's insane."

"People lost their faith in Dauntless." Nina answered back as she eyed the growing group of Abnegation transfers.

"Candor seems okay with Dauntless though." The girl couldn't hide her amusement, "Four out of six transfers are from Candor. I think that's even crazier."

Nina finally glanced back at the girl and smirked, "Isn't being crazy one of the traits Dauntless should possess?" She asked, "Candor is the faction which had the honor of watching Dauntless grow whole again."

The girl eyed her for a minute before a grin spread across her face, "I'm Lacey."

"Nina."

Lacey got to her feet when the last dependant made their choice, "You're cool for a smart mouth." She pointed to a group of two boys and a girl, "Wanna catch a train with us?"

Nina figured it was best to stay close to a bunch of people who had done this many times before. She could probably survive hopping onto a moving train if she mimicked them.

"Lead the way." She frowned when she heard herself use the tone Eric used on Jack the first time they met. She knew he'd mock her the moment he saw her. He loved to be always right about everything.

She caught up with Lacey's group of friends and actually got pretty excited when the whole Dauntless group sprinted to the train tracks. She glanced up at Lacey who was already climbing and half way through she looked over her shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing Candor?" She called over her shoulder, "Start climbing or you'll be factionless!"

Nina grabbed onto the rails and started climbing after Lacey. She was slightly out of breath when she reached the top and met Lacey's amused gaze, "You know factionless doesn't sound half as bad." Nina remarked, "You can do whatever the hell you want."

"I agree, the only downside is that you'll look like crap the rest of your life." One of Lacey's friends grinned at her, "Brandon." He nodded at her, "Not bad for a transfer, you think you'll be able to jump?" He asked his back toward the train that was not too far away from them now.

Nina eyed the upcoming train feeling the fear slightly bubble up in her. She tried to shut off her thoughts because she was certain that if she over think it she would never hop onto the train.

"I have a _friend_ who I need to mock with my presence at Dauntless." She muttered, "I'm catching that train."

Before Lacey and her friends could question her about that so called friend she sprinted ahead, and watched the train move past her. She pushed back all her thoughts and just jumped, grabbing onto the railing to pull herself in. Lacey jumped in after her, looking quite impressed.

"Let me introduce you to the rest." Lacey said after a moment of catching their breath, "The pink haired girl is Emily, and the loser next to her is Zach-"

"Fuck you, Lacey." Zach shot back, his green eyes glistered playfully, "I'm impressed, Candor, you didn't look like the type of girl who'd jump onto moving trains."

Brandon wrapped his arm around Nina's shoulders, acting all familiar already, "That's because she has a friend at Dauntless who she needs to punch in the face. She has the motivation."

Nina rolled her eyes and pushed Brandon away from her, "I never mentioned any punches."

Brandon chuckled, shrugging his shoulder, "It was implied when you spat out the word friend."

She bit her lip, trying to fight the grin that threatened to spread across her face, "It's that obvious?"

Emily smirked, leaning against Zach as he eyed Nina up and down, "Don't punch the _friend_ without us being around. I'd love to see that."

Nina shook her head at their teasing. William had been right, she'd make new friends and enjoy herself. All the worrying she did yesterday had been for nothing. She took it out on her ice-cream which she regretted now. She wondered what treat Dauntless would have, because she missed out on amazing vanilla ice-cream.  
After a few minutes an older Dauntless member shouted for them to get ready. She glanced at Lacey and her friends and frowned when she noticed how excited they looked.

"We gotta jump again, Candor!" Brandon shouted, stepping back a little to get ready to jump.

Nina glanced out the door, her heart racing when she saw the first Dauntless born initiates jumping out of the compartment and landing on the roof. Some rolled around, shouting in excitement. She didn't understand why they seemed so excited though, it could not be as fun as they made it appear to be.  
She stepped back the same way Brandon had and watched how he jumped out, shouting excitedly like the other Dauntless born initiates. Zach and Emily jumped out together, their reaction pretty much the same. They almost sold it to her, by their excited reactions. Lacey brought her back reality though when she told her it was time for them to jump.

"Don't think just jump." Lacey told her.

Lacey counted to three and on the count of three they jumped. Nina didn't land as gracefully as she wanted to, she rolled on the ground just like the other jumpers and chuckled when Lacey laughed at her, holding out a hand to help her up.

"That was amazing, right?"

Nina patted the dust off her clothes, shaking her head, "That was insane." A small smirk spreading across her face, "I guess you'll grow to like it."

The initiates gathered around the edge of the rooftop where a blonde girl was standing on the ledge. She was observing the crowd, glancing at all of them. She didn't seem too pleased, but then quickly shrugged it off and straightened her shoulders. The air around her just changed in a split second.

"Initiates! Listen up! My name is Tris." Her voice was clear, ringing with authority, as she addressed them, "The last obstacle you'd have to overcome to begin your initiation here at Dauntless is to jump." Her eyes wandered over the edge.

"We have to jump?" A tall, brunette from Erudite asked.

Tris eyes glowed with amusement, "Yes, you have to jump. So who wants to go first?" She asked, eying the nervous looking crowd.

Brandon stepped forward which Nina was not surprised about at all. Brandon was full of energy and didn't seem to care about anything at all. He was Dauntless all the way as Eric would have said.  
Tris jumped off the ledge, and stood aside watching Brandon climb up the ledge. He turned around facing them and grinned when he let himself fall backwards.

Lacey snorted, "Fucking show off." She muttered under her breath.

After a few seconds loud cheers were heard so she figured that Brandon was still alive. She quickly stepped forward wanting to have this over with. She glanced at Tris as she walked past her, and climbed onto the ledge. Unlike Brandon she didn't was as daring to fall backwards. She just closed her eyes tightly and jumped off, holding her breath as she fall a few stories down and bounced onto a net. The moment her back hit the net she let out a relieved breath and opened her eyes. She didn't have time to process it because someone grabbed onto her arm and helped her off.

"You okay, initiate?" Nina glanced at the girl who helped her off the net, "What's your name?"

Nina steadied her feet, "Nina." She answered and watched the guy who stood beside Christina turn to the crowd, "Second jumper, Nina!" He announced in a booming voice, his eyes shining with recognition, "Welcome to Dauntless."

Nina walked past Four who'd she knew from the brief meetings at Candor. He was a lot nicer than Eric, and a lot more silent as well. He didn't have to speak to make himself known in the room though. People noticed his presence without him saying anything. He just had this kind of domination air around him.  
After all the initiates jumped Four and the girl who helped them off the net turned to the crowd. The girl was smaller than Four and Tris, who they'd met on the rooftop, but that didn't make her look less intimidating. Something about her looked familiar though. Nina just couldn't pinpoint where she'd met her before.

"Listen up! My name is Christina, I'm one of your trainers this year." She eyed the crowd and pointed to Four who stood with his arms crossed next to her, "And this is Four, he's one of the Dauntless leaders and is also one of your trainers this year."

Nina noticed how some of the Dauntless born initiates looked at Four with admiration, so she figured he was a leader who was definitely liked by the majority of Dauntless. The complete opposite of Eric.  
Nina noticed a woman standing next to Four with dreadlocks who hadn't spoken up yet.

"So we're dividing you up in two groups." Christina announced, "Dauntless born will go with Lauren." Christina gestured to the amused looking woman in dreadlocks, "Transfers stay with me and Four."

Lacey nodded at Nina, "I'll see you at dinner, Candor." She pushed through the crowd and disappeared in the narrow hallway together with her group.

Christina ordered them to follow her and led the group down the narrow hallways of Dauntless. Four stayed at the end of the group, which gave her the feeling of him overseeing Christina's teaching. When she glanced over her shoulder she blushed when he caught her staring. He simply nodded at her and focused back on observing Christina's speech. She followed after the group which consisted only of six transfers and figured that Dauntless was not as bad as she thought it would be.

* * *

Eric glanced over his shoulder when Tris pushed through the doors of the training room, "How is the group this year?" He asked, focusing back on throwing his knives at the target.

"Not many transfers, only six of them." She didn't sound too pleased about that, "A small group this year. The Dauntless born are excited though."

Eric swirled his last knife around in his hand and twisted it around, offering Tris to throw the knife, "We figured we have less transfers this year." He wasn't too disappointed since he didn't set the bar too high, "Heard your rooftop speech went well." He stepped back when she took his position at the target and threw the knife with precision, hitting the target right in the rose.

"Went even better than yours." She turned to look at him with a smirked when she saw how annoyed he was, "It's time for us to join them for dinner. Don't scare them too much at the end of the tour, it's already a small group this year."

Eric followed after Tris, trying to shrug off her comment. He was certain his speech went a lot better, he'd scared the shit out of most of the initiates with just one glace. She couldn't have taken his spotlight this year because even if she tried to look intimidating her gentleness always peeked through. Parts of her Abnegation traits she just couldn't shrug off, no matter how hard she tried.  
Eric pushed through the heavy door that led to the cafeteria and held it open for Tris, gesturing for her to step in first. He followed after her, heading straight for their table, ignoring all the stares he received. Even after all these years he still managed to silence a room with just his presence. It was flattering and definitely boosted his ego.

"You ready for your part, Eric?" Tori asked, glancing over the rim of her cup of water, "The transfer group this year is not very impressive." She glanced at the table where Four and Christina were seated and snorted, "Six transfers!"

Eric wasn't as shocked as the rest of them were, "Come on, we expected that this would happen." He filled up his plate when he felt someone approach their table, "Can't handle the transfers this year, Four?" He asked sarcastically.

Four sat down next to his little girlfriend with a bemused look in his eyes, "I think Christina can handle them alone for a few minutes."

Eric glanced over at the table where the transfers were seated and felt his lips twitch as he saw a certain big mouthed girl sitting amongst them.

"That's interesting."

Everyone at their table followed his gaze toward the transfer table, but only Four knew what meant by that. Four actually dared to smirk and look amused with the situation.

"The Candor girl chewed Eric out when they first met." Four told his little girlfriend, "It was hilarious."

Tori lifted an eyebrow, "During the Candor meeting?" She asked curiously, "I'm impressed."

Eric focused back on his dinner and stood up with a determined look in his eyes once his plate was empty. It was his turn to address the transfers. He headed to the transfer table ignoring the curious gazes he received from the other Dauntless leaders. He stood beside Christina at the end of the table and glanced over at each of the transfers.

"Get up initiates." He didn't raise his voice, but with one look they all pushed their plates aside and stood up, "Follow me."

He pushed through the heavy door, not bothering to slow down and see if they actually followed him. He knew he intimidated them enough with one look to know that they'll follow him like lost little puppies. He walked down the dark hallway and stopped in front of the transfer's dorm, leaning against the closed door with his arms folded across his chest. He noticed how some of the transfers took him all in and slightly stepped back.

"My name is Eric, I'm one of the Dauntless leaders." He received some anxious looks from the transfers and continued, "Behind this door is the room you'll all be staying in for the next couple of weeks." He bit back a smirk when he saw the confused looks on their faces, "Boys and girls." He firmly stated to take away all the confusion, "Some ground rules!" He called, "Training will start every morning at eight, if you're one minute late you'll get punished. You'll train till six with an one hour break for lunch." He pushed through the door of the dorm and held it open for the transfers.

He stepped inside once the last transfer entered the room, "You only get to leave the compound with a full Dauntless member." He continued, "There are three stages in your initiation process." He walked to the railing of the stairs and leaned against it, glancing at each transfer before he continued, "At the end of stage one the lowest ranking initiate will be leaving us-"

"We're getting ranked?" A tall brunette asked confused.

Eric stepped forward causing the girl to panic, "There are only ten spots to fill." Eric told them, "There are sixteen initiates this year. You can do the math. That will be all for tonight, Christina will explain the stages during training tomorrow. I suggest you head to bed since you'll be needing all your energy."

He watched all of them scatter around, in search for a bed. All but one transfer, he watched her step toward him and tried not to look too amused with her presence.

"I thought I made myself clear, initiate?" He asked her in his Dauntless leader voice.

She hesitated for a minute, "Are we back to insulting each other?" She asked, "I have a few good ones in mind."

He always enjoyed her fighting spirit, it was very refreshing but he couldn't let his guard down in front of the other initiates.

"It should stay there if you don't want to live factionless."

Her eyes were analyzing his face, his jaw clenched when he noticed she was actually smirking at him. He was trying to scare her a little, but apparently he had the opposite effect on her. He should have known though, since he taunted this girl for almost nine months.

"Cause Dauntless soldiers follow orders." She sounded amused, "Someone once told me I'll make a perfect Dauntless soldier so I'm not that worried."

He chuckled, impressed that she dared to repeat his words right in his face with that cocky look in her eyes. He did tell her that she'd do well in Dauntless. He didn't change his mind about that. He had seen the fire in her eyes every time he challenged her.

"Head to bed, initiate." He watched her walk away, "Welcome to Dauntless, Nina."

He felt her eyes on him when he turned on his heels and walked out the door, maybe initiation this year wouldn't be so boring as they all thought it would be.


	3. Target Practice

**Chapter 3 – Target Practice**

Nina shot up in her bed, breathing heavily as she tried to focus her eyes. She glanced around the room, earning herself questionable looks from the initiates who already woke up. Running a hand through her hair she tried to calm herself down and quickly rolled out of bed. She guessed she didn't have much time before training would start, she wanted to have some food in her stomach before she'd indulge in some physical exercise.  
After taking a shower and brushing her teeth she quickly got dressed and followed the other initiates transfers into the cafeteria. She had spoken to them briefly last night, but already liked them. It was hard thinking about what would happen soon though. One of them might be leaving after stage one. She hated the thought of it.  
She took a seat next to one of the Erudite girls, Katie, and started filling up her plate. She opted for a muffin and a glass of orange juice. Aaron, a tall brunette with piercing green eyes and a charming smile was also from Candor. He sat across her and filled up his plate as well, his eyes amused as he glanced at her from time to time.

"What's so funny?" She asked after a while, not being able to hold her tongue anymore, "Do I have something on my face?"

Katie glanced at her, probably to see if that was the case, but she just shook her head. Nina still brushed a hand over her cheeks, just to make sure and frowned when Aaron laughed at her.

"You worked closely with Jack and the other leaders of Candor, right?"

"Jack recruited my brother." She answered with a shrug of her shoulder, "I just helped them out from time to time with some light paperwork."

"Only some light paperwork?" Aaron asked, Nina did not like the tone he used, "I heard you were the official host to the Dauntless leaders whenever they came to the headquarters to report to Jack."

"What are you trying to say, Aaron?" She asked quietly, a dangerous edge to her tone.

She shamelessly copied Eric, but she knew she'd get the answers she wanted if she tried to be intimidating. Somehow spending a few minutes a day with Eric for the last couple of months taught her far more than she ever imagined.

"I'm just curious, that's all." He took a leisurely sip from his water, "Don't you think that some people might assume you'll have certain advantages here, since you are familiar with the Dauntless leaders."

She wanted to get angry at Aaron for saying she'd be getting favors from the Dauntless leaders, but she rationalized that it was just in Aaron's nature to speak his mind freely. He was after all also from Candor, and she had the same problem as Aaron, which got her the Eric babysitting duty in the first place. So Nina just took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Four does not look like the type of guy who'd give someone a position they did not earn, and I'm certain that you figured out with just one glace at Eric that he'd never do anyone any favors."

Katie agreed with her with a simple nod, "Besides Christina is our trainer."

"Your Erudite brain must have figured out that what the leaders say goes." Aaron snorted, "But I get your point." He glanced back at Nina, "You won't have any advantages here." His gaze softened as he focused back on his breakfast.

Nina guessed that Aaron was content with the idea of the initiation being a fair process. He came off as a jerk, but the Candor trait of speaking freely made him appear to be a jerk, she guessed that he was actually a nice guy.

"We should hurry we have ten minutes left before training starts." Katie reminded them, getting to her feet, "Eric said we'd get punished if we were late."

Nina did not want to piss off Eric at her first day of training. She figured that she wouldn't survive the rest of the weeks if she was on his bad side.  
They all made a dash for the training room, receiving amused glances from Christina and Four. Nina glanced over her shoulder and saw Lauren talking to Eric while the Dauntless born were scattered across the room, lazing around. The Dauntless born didn't seem worried at all, they were so relaxed it almost pissed her off.

"They seem to have fun." Katie whispered to her.

"Four of them are missing." Nina did another head count, but still came to the same conclusion, "They still have four minutes left."

Aaron nudged her shoulder, "Curious to know what Eric will do if you arrive late for training?"

Nina's lips curled up to a smirk, "Aren't you?"

Aaron thought about it for a minute before he answered, "I guess I'd like to know what I'll have to go through if I do arrive late at training one day."

They all spun around to look at Christina when she called for their attention. She stepped forward with a determined look in her eyes. Her eyes scanned each of them before she spoke up in a clear tone.

"Eric has told you that there are three stages of initiation. At the end of stage one, one initiate will be cut and has to leave Dauntless." She started pacing back and forth, making eye contact with every single anxious looking initiate, "There will be no cuts during stage two, but we'll give you a progress report so you can brace yourself when you'll be evaluated at the end of stage three. The lowest five ranking initiates at the end of stage three will be leaving us." She narrowed her eyes on them, "You'll be ranked together with the Dauntless born, but you're trained separately."

Some of the initiates started complaining but one look from Four made them all shut up again.

"What are the stages we have to go through?" Sara, the other Erudite girl asked.

Christina's glare made her shut up and take a step back, "If you let me finish my speech you won't be asking me stupid questions like that. "

Four who stood behind Christina snorted. He shot Christina a mocking look when she glanced at him. Nina figured that something similar must have happened between Four and Christina. Christina just flipped Four off before she continued.

"During stage one you'll be put through a physical test." She finally stopped pacing and stood in front of the initiates, folding her arms across her chest, "Stage two is an emotional test and stage three mental." She paused to evaluate the looks on their faces, "We'll push you to breaking point."

Three Dauntless born Nina hadn't met before and Emily came into view. They passed through, running around the training room. Nina quickly glanced over her shoulder. Eric was leaning against a wall, observing the Dauntless born who were doing laps. She flicked her gaze back at the group of jogging initiates.

"They're just doing laps as punishment?" Sara asked confused.

Christina raised her brows at the Erudite girl, "Just doing laps?" She asked sarcastically, "Eric doesn't do mild punishments."

"He'll probably push them so far they'll end up in the med unit." Nina muttered, making everyone glance at her, "What?" She asked annoyed.

No one spoke up so Nina just shrugged it off and focused back on Christina and Four. Christina clasped her hands together, getting an excited look in her eyes.

"Today we're going to do some target practice in the gun room." She zipped up her jacket, "Everyone follow me!"

They followed after Christina who led them to the gun room. Four stayed in the background once again. He followed after the group and took Christina aside when she grabbed a gun off the table. They talked in hushed voices, but Nina could tell that it wasn't an unpleasant conversation. Christina smiled at Four and nodded before she turned back to the group.

"I'm going to show you how to handle one of these." Christina held up her gun, her eyes hardening, "So pay close attention." She warned.

After Christina's instructions everyone grabbed a gun and lined up in front of the targets. There were just six of them so no one had to wait to start practicing their shooting. Nina eyed the target in front of her and mimicked Christina's stance. The gun was quite heavy and she feared she'd fall back if she pulled the trigger. She stood firmer in her shoes and tuned everyone out, only focusing on the target in front of her.  
The first shot was just a few inches away from the target. She knew what to expect when she pulled the trigger again. She braced herself, aiming the gun at the target once again and took a deep breath. Her second shot actually hit the third ring of the target. She was quite impressed with herself and finally took a glance at the other initiates. Aaron who stood next to her also managed to shoot the third ring, but his second shot made it close to the rose. He was good at this.

"You're good at this." She said when Aaron met her gaze.

He glanced at her target and smirked, "You're better at this than I expected."

She rolled her eyes and aimed her gun back at her target, wanting to proof herself. Aaron made it sound like she'd be terrible at this, but looking at the other initiates she was actually quite good at this.  
She inhaled deeply once again and exhaled all the tension, pulling the trigger for the third time.

* * *

Eric pulled his face to an impassive mask as he listened to the apologies of the three Dauntless born who dared to be late on their first day of training. They were out of breath and seemed to be in a lot of pain. He was certain they'd arrive an hour earlier for training than to go through his punishment again.

"I don't want your lame excuses, dare to be late again and you'll be cut." He eyed them one by one, "I always follow through so you watch yourselves." He warned them.

They all kept their head low, not wanting to look him in the eyes. He turned on his heels and nodded at Lauren. She continued with her lecture as he walked out of the training room.  
Christina and Four took the transfers to the gun room to do some target practice. He'd watch them for a few minutes before he had to leave for his usual meeting with Jack. Since Four had to oversee Christina, Tori offered to tag along.  
He hated to admit it but he rather spend a few hours a day together with Four than with Tori. She was quite vocal while Four kept quiet most of the times. He got accustomed to it and now he dreaded going to Candor's headquarters together with the mouthy Tori.  
He stepped into the gun room, heading straight for Four who was standing a few feet away from the initiates and Christina.

"How are they doing so far?" He asked as he stood beside Four and observed the transfers.

Four didn't take his eyes off the transfers as he spoke, "They're focused, probably the most motivated transfer group we had so far." He quickly shot a glance at Eric, "Aaron has perfect accuracy. Nina comes close to it."

Eric noticed how Four's tone changed when he spoke of Nina to him. He raised an eyebrow at Four, but the stiff's expression did not falter at all. Four's perfect emotionless mask never faltered.

"She is too rigid." His lips twitched when Four rolled his eyes at him, "Causing her stance to be off." He added as he stalked toward Nina.

He felt a few eyes on him but ignored their curious looks. He stood behind Nina for a while and observed her more carefully. She was so focused on her target she did not notice her surroundings at all. When she took another shot and she hit close to the rose again, she cursed loudly and lowered the gun. She shot the same spot a few times now and it started to annoy him. He stepped to her, grabbing onto her shoulders which caused her to gasp and drop the gun.

He scolded, "Pick up the gun, initiate!" He released her for a second so she could pick up the gun before he placed his hands back on her shoulders, "Now relax your shoulders, you're too tense." He trailed his hands over her arms and fixed her aim at the target. His chest was pressed against her back and he could feel her take a deep breath, he released her hands and leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear, "Now shoot." He whispered to her.

She pulled the trigger, a shaky breath leaving her lip. She shot the target right in the rose this time. Pleased with the result Eric stepped back and glanced down at Nina who lowered the gun and spun around to face him.

"Thanks."

"Don't make me regret my words, Nina." He watched her shoulders slump, "I've shown you how to shoot a gun, so don't dare to fucking miss the rose anymore."

Realization flashed through her eyes. She must have remembered what he told her months ago.

"You wouldn't show a Dauntless move to some random kid." She paraphrased him, disapproval flashing through her piercing blue eyes, "I'm not a kid, Eric."

"Did I call you a kid?" He asked quietly, "You're the one who brought it up."

"I could practically hear you thinking it."

He bit back a chuckle, "Turn around and start shooting, you need all the practice you can get." He made sure to put a dangerous edge to his tone.

He noticed how she clenched her hand around the gun, but spun around to face her target instead. He was glad she was smart enough to know when to speak up and when to shut up. She took the stance he had shown her and aimed for the target, hitting the rose at the first try.

He leaned closer to her, "Keep it up, initiate." He whispered to her and stepped back, turning on his heels and stalked to the smirking Four, "What?" He asked the stiff who looked too amused for his liking.

"Helping an initiate, that's new."

Eric frowned. He knew Four was right, he believed that the initiates should rely on their own strength and figure things out on their own. Just watching Nina struggle with perfecting her aim annoyed the hell out of him.

"I corrected her stance, her aim was already quite accurate."

"I know." Four's smirk kept mocking him.

He scoffed, brushing past Four, purposely bumping his shoulder against the smirking stiff. Four only responded with a loud chuckle. Eric clenched his fists at his side and counted till ten as he walked out of the gun room.

* * *

Nina carefully placed her gun back on the table, ignoring everyone's questionable looks and headed straight for the dining hall. Eric helping her with perfecting her aim made all the other transfer anxious. She didn't want to explain herself to them, because she didn't think it was any of their business. So instead of having lunch with the other transfers she headed toward Lacey's table.  
The blonde Dauntless born grinned widely and gestured to the empty seat next to her. Without a second thought Nina sat down next to Lacey, pouring herself a glass of water.

"Training was that bad huh?" Lacey sounded amused, "Can't be worse than the punishment Emily and the others had to go through." She filled up her plate and glanced up, "Tara actually fainted until Eric told them punishment was over."

"How long did they have to run laps?" Nina asked confused since Eric stopped by at their target practice, "He stopped by briefly at the gun room."

"It wasn't just laps that they had to do." Lacey grimaced, "Sit-ups, push-ups and other shit until one of them collapsed." Lacey shuddered, "Almost an full hour of physical torture."

Nina was not surprised though, she had known that being on Eric's bad side would be hell. That's why they rushed to the training room to make sure he wouldn't get the chance to punish them.

"Did you expect anything else from him?" She asked Lacey with a shrug of her shoulder, "I mean I've known him for nine months but you have known him for years."

Brandon dropped down in the seat across them, "He told them that the next time they'd be late they'll be leaving Dauntless." Brandon filled up his plate, "I'm glad we didn't sleep in."

Lacey agreed and eyed the transfer table, poking Nina in the shoulder, "So why aren't you having lunch with them?" She asked quietly, "I know they're not as fun as we are, but you guys were getting along just fine during dinner."

Nina rolled her eyes. She noticed that all the Dauntless members were arrogant. Playing around with the food on her plate she shot a glance at the transfer table, meeting the curious gazes of Katie and Aaron.

"Eric helped me with target practice today." She groaned when Brandon and Lacey looked at her the same way the others had, "I didn't feel like explaining myself because there is nothing to tell."

"He helped you?" Lacey asked confused, "He is the type of guy who kicks you when you're already down. He doesn't help you, of course they're curious."

Brandon shook his head, apparently he didn't agree with Lacey, "It isn't like that Lacey. I heard they've put him through hell when he was being trained for Dauntless leadership. He doesn't know any better."

Nina didn't doubt Brandon's theory for a second. Dauntless and Erudite probably had an alliance for years. They probably trained Eric to be a cold hearted killer because of the upcoming war.

"I saw that look."

Nina frowned as she met Lacey's curious gaze, "What look?"

"Eric is the friend you needed to punch in the face." She concluded,"We'd like front row seats to that show."

Brandon almost choked in his water, "That would be like punching a brick wall."

"Everyone has a weakness, even the invincible Eric." She muttered.

She didn't know what Eric's weakness was, but she was convinced that he did have one. Eric was after all still human even when other people begged to differ.

* * *

Eric watched the initiates stumble into the dining hall after training. The Dauntless born had been practicing knife throwing while Four and Christina took the transfers out for a run. The transfers all looked like they could pass out any minute now.

"Four what did you do to them?" Tori asked amused.

Four's lips twitched as he glanced at the transfer table, "They did better than I expected." He glanced from Tori to Eric, "How did it go with Jack?"

"Tori pissed him off." Eric ignored the glare he received from Tori, "So she is no longer allowed to open her mouth at Candor." He held up his hand when Tori wanted to protest, "Three months Tori! Three more months and we no longer need any babysitters."

Four didn't look pleased but still nodded, "Just endure it for now." He mumbled.

"So what's the schedule for tomorrow?" Tris asked trying to break the awkward silence at their table, "The transfers look beat."

"Christina will show them some fighting moves in the morning and they'll be practicing it for the rest of the day after lunch."

Eric glanced at the transfer table once more before he pushed his plate aside and got to his feet. He actually needed some time alone to clear his head after spending half a day with Tori. She had been so vocal he started to miss Four's company. _That _was not a good sign.  
He walked past the transfer table, meeting Nina's eyes. He didn't see the usual underlying defiance in her eyes. He shrugged it off and walked out the dining hall, heading for the training room so he could punch something for a couple of minutes.  
He shrugged his jacket off, throwing it aside and started to work the punching bag. He kept it up for a couple of minutes, trying to get rid of all the frustration he felt. He needed to get it out of his system since he'd be spending another few hours with Tori tomorrow. He felt the sweat cling to the back of his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. He narrowed his eyes when he felt eyes piercing into his back and spun around, lifting an eyebrow at the girl who had been watching him for a few minutes.

"You'd like to try it?" He asked as he stepped aside, offering her his spot, "I told you that you need to work on your strength."

"I don't think-"

Eric snorted, "Don't think. You know what to do, you've observed me for a while now." His lips curled up to a smirk when he saw a faint blush spread across her face, "Come here, Nina."

She hesitated for a minute but eventually stepped forward, standing beside him while eying the punching bag suspiciously. She eyed it as if she was afraid he'd punch her right back.  
He knew she needed a little push. He grabbed onto her shoulders and pushed her forward. He trailed his hands over her arms like he did that morning and helped her take a fighting stance.

"Just take it all out on the punching bag." He told her, feeling her tense, "Your anger." He whispered to her, "Whoever pissed you off today…Just let it all go."

He stepped back when he felt her relax and watched her take out all her frustration. She had more strength than he imagined, the problem was that she was thinking too much. Now that she was letting go he was seeing the real her. She was a lot fiercer.  
He grabbed onto her hips, ignoring her surprised gasp and aligned her hips with her shoulders. He used his foot to kick her feet a bit apart and stepped back again.

"Try again."

She took a deep breath and started punching the punching bag again. Her stance was a lot better this time, and this way she wouldn't hurt herself. After a few minutes of practicing she dropped her hands and turned to look at him.

"That felt good." She admitted.

He knew what she was talking about, since he usually took his frustration out on these punching bags.

"Christina and Four will be showing you some fighting moves." He leaned down to grab his jacket and quickly shrugged it on, "You're prepared for this."

"Why are you always helping me?" She frowned.

Eric stepped forward, noticing how she slightly stepped back, but still held her head raised high. He admired that fighting spirit she had in her. No one dared to talk to him the way she did, they always cowered back. She did get scared but she still dared to face him anyway. He had wondered since he first met her if it was because she was taught to always speak her mind, but now he dared to say that it was bravery which made her face him without hesitation.

"I've told you already."

He eyed the camera which he was facing and was glad Four was temporarily off control room duty. Four had been mocking him this morning and he knew that if Four had seen him now it would only humor him more.

"I'd make a great soldier." She whispered.

"I've been taught to spot the best initiates." He narrowed his eyes on her, noticing how her eyes glowed with curiosity, "Like I said if you practice hard, push yourself to breaking point, you'll excel here at Dauntless."

"I think you're wrong. I don't know what you've seen, but I don't think I'm the girl you believe I am."

Eric didn't know why she suddenly sounded so defeated. She always fought back, no matter who her opponent was.

"Well if I'm wrong you'll end up factionless." He smirked when he saw her eyes darken.

He pushed past her, his shoulder brushing against hers. She didn't falter this time though. When he reached the door he glanced in her direction and smirked when he saw her practicing on the punching bag again. He was never wrong.


	4. Run Princess

**Chapter 4 – Run Princess.**

Nina quietly walked through the narrow hallway, heading for the dining room when she heard hushed voices coming from a hallway near the drinking fountain. She had never been there before, because she apparently always overlooked that hallway. She knew it was wrong of her, but she was kind of curious to know who were arguing at seven in the morning in a secret hallway.

"I told you that I'm sorry, Christina. I just want us to talk this over-"

"Talk this over?" Christina slightly raised her voice, worrying Nina a bit, "What if it was Four? What if I shot Four? Would you forgive me for it?"

Nina quickly spun on her heels, knowing that this was a private conversation. It surprised her that Tris and Four were dating, but now that she thought about it, they were always together. They were just very subtle about it.  
She entered the dining hall as she processed the conversation she just eavesdropped on. She didn't stay long enough to figure out what they were talking about. She was certain that Tris was somehow involved in shooting Christina's boyfriend.

"I can almost hear you think."

She snapped out of her thoughts, glancing at Brandon who sat down across her, "I was thinking about today's schedule. Eric mentioned something about fighting moves."

A grin spread across Brandon's face, "I can't believe that you're actually friends with Eric-"

Nina shook her head, "We're not friends!" She frowned, thinking about what Eric was to her, "I hated him when I first met him, but I guess I grew accustomed to meeting him every single day for almost nine months-"

"So now you're friends?" Brandon asked, his eyes glistering with mischief, "Or more than friends."

Nina kicked Brandon underneath the table, glaring at him for assuming such a ridiculous thing. Eric might be an attractive man, but that was not enough to make her have sex with him.  
She snorted, knowing she was wrong. Lust was a strong emotion. She figured that you could still sleep with someone and don't actually like that person.

"You just mocked yourself, didn't you?" Brandon asked amused, "You're like an open book, it's hilarious."

"I just figured that you probably could sleep with someone without actually liking that person."

Brandon nodded, "I do it all the time." She could tell by the amused look in his eyes that he was actually joking, at least she hoped he was joking.

They ate breakfast quietly together and after a few minutes all the other initiates started to fill up the dining hall. She figured that the group who got punished for being late at training yesterday were an example for the rest of the initiates. No one dared to show up late at training anymore.  
After she finished her breakfast, Nina made her way to the training room. She was half an hour early but she figured she better be half an hour too early than one minute too late. She had a feeling that since Eric had high expectations from her he'd make her go through hell if she broke the rules.

"You're early initiate."

Four had his back to her while he set up the training mat. He rose to his feet and stood in the middle of the mat, gesturing for her to come closer.

"Eric showed you a simple defense move at Candor, do you remember it?"

She nodded. She could never forget it because it was what she was looking forward to every time she was waiting for the Dauntless leaders to show up. It was exciting to go through such an exercise.

"I remember it."

"Get on the mat." Four took a fighting stance and watched her closely.

She mimicked his stance, earning an appreciative look from Four.

"I'll be going through four sets of attack moves, observe it closely."

She dropped her hands to her side and narrowed her eyes on Four who showed her the moves one by one. He was fast and every move seemed so powerful. She closed her eyes tightly when his fist stopped right in front of her face.

"You'd actually learn something if you had your eyes open." Four sounded amused as he stepped back, "Did you observe every move?"

She nodded. She had been watching him carefully, making sure to observe his stance, his aim and his movement. It had been a reflex of hers to close her eyes when he aimed for her face.

She froze when she heard the familiar heavy footsteps of Eric entering the room, "Giving some private lessons, Four?" He sounded amused as he stopped by the training mat and folded his arms across his chest.

Four simply glanced back at Eric, "You were supposed to be observing Lauren's class first."

Nina felt the tension between Four and Eric, and was afraid they might end up attacking each other. She frowned when after a split second both guys were smirking at each other. They seemed to have a friendly rivalry going on between them, but she wondered how long it would stay friendly.

"They're doing laps this morning." Eric said after a while, "I'll be observing Christina's class first and join Lauren for target practice after lunch."

Nina stepped off the mat when the first transfers started to enter the room. They already assumed she was getting special treatment from Eric, she didn't need them to think that Four was treating her the same.  
She stood behind Eric's right shoulder and observed the two guys. When she had first met Four and Eric it seemed like they hated each other's guts. Four also had looked at Eric with distrust in his eyes, but observing them now she realized that they were a lot more friendly with each other.

"They're doing one on one's by the end of the week." Eric stated firmly.

Four simply nodded, "Fine by me."

"We're going to fight each other?" Nina asked making both Four and Eric glance at her, it looked like they forgot she was even in the room.

Eric looked at her as if she lost her mind, "Isn't it obvious?" He asked, his voice sounding condescending, "You'd need to practice those fighting skills."

Four hopped off the mat and stood beside Eric, "He forgot to mention that you'll be ranked for it."

Nina's eyes widened as she realized that the fighting could actually affect her ranking. She had been doing great with target practice and she practiced a bit on the punching bag yesterday, but she didn't know how she felt about actually using those skills and hurt someone in her class.

"You look worried." Eric snapped her out of her thoughts, "You've the skills so you actually have no reason to look so worried, initiate."

She didn't know if Eric was trying to comfort her or if he was mocking her. Knowing him she guessed it was the latter.

"It's actually to practice your fighting skills." Four sounded a lot gentler than Eric, "The transfers this year are lucky, the rules have changed."

Nina glanced at Eric who had a deadly look in his eyes. He did not seem happy about the rules Four mentioned.

"Christina will be explaining the rules later, I assume?"

Four nodded, "I think we've given you already too many advantages." He didn't sound displeased about it, so she guessed she wasn't in trouble.

She joined the other transfers a few feet away from the mat and nodded at Katie and Aaron in acknowledgement. Katie made her way to her and smiled.

"Do you know what we'll be doing today?" Katie asked as she glanced at Four and Eric who were quietly discussing something by the training mat.

Nina felt her cheeks burn up when Eric turned his head and looked at her. He held her stare, his lips curling up to a smirk.

"Uhm...I think he said something about fighting moves and practicing it after lunch."

She noticed Four saying something to Eric which made the fierce looking Dauntless leader chuckle and shake his head.

"They seem to get along." Katie was observing Four and Eric as she spoke again, "It almost feels like they're talking about us."

Nina couldn't disagree with Katie, she had a feeling that she was the reason why Eric chuckled and Four looked so amused.  
They watched Christina walk to the training mat, and followed after her when she called them over. Four and Eric were a few feet away, observing the initiates instead of Christina who was lecturing them. She could feel Eric's gaze on her from time to time but she refused to look at him. He was a distraction and if she failed he'd make fun of her, mock her or even preach to her. She was not in the mood to get chewed out by Eric again.

"Pay close attention, initiates." Christina warned them as she eyed them one by one, "After lunch you're going to practice what I've taught you while Eric, Four and I will be giving you some tips. By the end of this week you'll be put to the test." She paused to make it all sink in and spoke in a louder tone, "You'll be using what we've taught you to fight each other. You'll be ranked so you should take it seriously."

Sara the curious initiate from Erudite spoke up again, "We're going to fight each other?"

Christina's lips curled up to a smirk, "Yes. You'll fight till one if you can't continue or concedes."

Eric stepped forward a tablet in hand and pointed to the screen next to him, "Here are your rankings so far." The screen lit up showing them the rankings, "Remember that the lowest ranking initiate will be leaving us after stage one."

Nina observed the list and smirked seeing that Aaron was number one, Brandon was two – which wasn't a surprise to her. Zach the Dauntless born who was close friends with Lacey was number three, Lacey was four and she was five. She figured she did pretty good.  
She had forgotten that they were ranked together with the Dauntless born. The list made a few transfers feel anxious since the Dauntless born were mainly in the top ten aside from Aaron and her.

"You're number five." Katie whispered to her, "I've heard the top five get the best jobs in Dauntless. So if you keep it up you'll do well."

Nina searched for Katie's name on the list and smiled seeing that she was number eleven. If she kept it up she wouldn't be leaving Dauntless after stage one. She turned to look at the brunette and smiled.

"You're safe." She whispered.

Katie nodded, "For now. I'm guessing the Dauntless born will do exceptionally well during the fights. Anything can happen."

Nina knew Katie was right. The Dauntless born had been trained for this moment. They had the advantage when it came to these fights. She hoped that at least Katie and Aaron made it. They were the only transfers she actually got along with.  
Christina started showing them some fighting moves, some of them she had learned from Four before training started.  
After Christina had shown them the moves she told them to practice together. Since they were an even number everyone had a partner. Nina wanted to ask Katie to be her partner but Aaron asked Nina first. She glanced over Aaron's shoulder and shrugged seeing Katie and Sara starting to practice the moves Christina had shown them.

"Fine by me." She walked with Aaron to a mat close by Katie and Sara and took a fighting stance, "You don't have to go easy on me."

Aaron's eyes glittered amusingly, "I know. I saw you and Four practice this morning, I think you'll be kicking my ass today."

"That was hardly practicing. He only showed me the moves." She snorted.

Aaron had his eyes narrowed on her, she guessed playtime was over because he suddenly had a determined look in his eyes. She stood more firmly on her feet and braced herself for his first attack.  
He launched himself at her, aiming for her stomach but she quickly grabbed onto his wrist and twisted it around, holding it against his back. He struggled against her grip and almost broke free but she swiftly kicked his knees causing him to fall down and released him, jumping back, smirking when Aaron raised an eyebrow at her.

"That was not a move Christina or Four showed you." He muttered, getting back to his feet, "Where did you learn that?" The curious look in his eyes told her that he wasn't angry.

Eric. She didn't tell Aaron though, she guessed she needed to keep some things hidden from the other initiates. She didn't want them to get the wrong idea. Besides it felt kind of empowering knowing she could outsmart them. She could use it during the fights, it would ensure her place in Dauntless.

"Don't know. Guess it was just a reflex."

Aaron didn't seem to buy that though, "Reflex my ass." He mumbled, glancing over his shoulder toward Four and Eric who both had pleased looks in their eyes, "I can guess who taught you that one."

She shrugged a shoulder, "Does it matter? I've never used it before."

Aaron raised his hands again, taking a fighting stance once more, "No need to get so defensive." A genuine smile spread across his face, "I heard the fights could become really brutal so use whatever you can to pass stage one."

Aaron was a mystery to her. Sometimes it sounded like he disapproved of her, but other times he said stuff like this making him seem like a really nice guy.

* * *

Eric frowned when Four mentioned Aaron and Nina who got along pretty well. He narrowed his eyes on the pair and felt a hint of anger boil up in him. Four was putting ideas in his head, he was the one who messed with people's head, not the other way around. He needed to stay calm, Nina was just initiate, there was no need to get so worked up over it.

"She is just a kid, Four." He said it more to himself because needed some convincing.

Four snorted, "She is no longer a kid, Eric."

Eric raised a sharp eyebrow at Christina who seemed to be having more fun than she should.

"Look at the two of you, talking without looking ready to kill each other."

Eric was well aware of the change in his relationship with Four. He guessed it was because of Tori who showed him that there were people out there who could piss him off more than Four.

"I think one of the initiates just got seriously hurt." Four said, swiftly changing the subject.

Eric followed Four's gaze and had to bite back a smirk, because the timing could not be better. Christina quickly made her way to the initiate who seemed to be in serious pain.

"I'll take the initiate to the med unit." Four mumbled, finding an excuse to leave the training room for a minute.

Christina stepped back while Four placed his arm around the initiate's shoulders and pulled her up, effortlessly. Christina suggested for the partner of the hurt initiate to start practicing together with her. The initiate glanced in his direction and gladly accepted Christina's offer. Eric guessed that Christina mentioned him which made the decision of the initiate that much easier.  
He started pacing around the room, observing all the initiates. Four out of six of the transfers made it in the top ten so far. That was the majority of the group which only strengthened Four's opinion about this group. They were all very motivated, and wanted to make it into Dauntless. The problem was that at the end of the week the rankings would drastically change. The Dauntless born had been goofing around, not taking the first day seriously. They'd take the fighting seriously, which would affect the rankings.  
Eric glanced at his watch, they were close to their lunch break so Christina had to wrap the lesson up. He glanced at her, his impatient look making her move faster to the center of the room to ask for everyone's attention.

"Listen up, initiates!" Her voice boomed through the room, which impressed him since she was so tiny, "You've done well so far, after lunch we'll continue this. You'll be getting some tips from me and Four. Eric will be here briefly and then join the Dauntless born. Make use of that moment though, ask for help if you need it because the fighting which will start this Friday will affect your ranking."

No one asked questions this time. After Christina dismissed them for lunch they all left the room in a rush. He heard a few mention the girl who ended up in the med unit so he guessed they were rushing because they wanted to pay her a visit.  
Eric glanced at the rankings one last time before he left the room as well. He'd have a quick lunch, join Christina and Four, check up on Lauren afterwards and then head to Candor together with Tori. The fucking rule of reporting to Candor made his days a lot longer. He didn't trust anyone else with his task though, and Jack made it clear that he'd only want daily reports from him. Just three more months and they'd finally be done with the fucking reports. He couldn't wait for Dauntless to have its freedom back.  
Eric refrained from rolling his eyes when he saw Four and his little girlfriend together, it was the first time he had seen them touching and acting like a _real_ couple. Tris must have felt his gaze on them because she quickly pulled away from Four, a faint blush spreading across her face as she glanced in his direction.

"How is the girl?" Eric asked as he approached them, trying to look as impassive as possible.

Four dropped his arm from Tris's shoulder, and held her hand instead, "She'll be fine. Just some bed rest today and she'll be back to training tomorrow."

"How is Nina doing so far?" Tris asked, catching him off guard.

He almost wanted to ask Tris why she mentioned Nina, but one glance at Four told him enough. The bastard informed his little girlfriend about the girl from Candor who he grew close to. He hated when people could use something against him.

"She is ranked five for now, so I guess she is doing fine." He used a neutral tone.

Tris narrowed her eyes on him, "She is doing more than fine, Eric. You think she'll be able to handle the fights this Friday?"

He wanted them to stop talking about Nina. The only way to make them stop paying attention to Nina was for him to put some distance between them.

"She has a fighting spirit which is hard to break. She'll do great if she finds the right motivation."

He narrowed his eyes on the stiffs, not liking how they shared a look. The knowing looks in their eyes made him sick. He didn't know what they were imagining but he needed them to stop.

"You two can stop assuming things." He said in a firm tone, "She is just another kid to me."

She wasn't, but if they thought he viewed her as such they'd probably back off. He glanced at his watch trying to hint to them that their conversation was over.

"I'm going to grab something to eat." He said walking past them to enter the dining hall.

He glanced at the transfer table and frowned when he saw that Nina was not there. Sometimes she ate together with the Dauntless born so he quickly glanced at that table, but she wasn't there either.  
He made his way to the table where he usually sat with the other leaders and dropped into the seat next to Tori.

"Heard an initiate got hurt today." Tori mumbled when he started to fill his plate.

"Four checked up on her, she'll be fine."

He glanced at Tori who suddenly had a mischievous look in her eyes, "Talking about Four, he mentioned that a particular initiate has caught your eye-"

"Fucking Four." Eric groaned, "She is just an acquaintance."

Tori smirked, "The Candor girl who chewed you out upon your first meeting, right?"

Eric didn't like where this conversation was heading, "What are you trying to say?" He asked her impatiently.

Tori shrugged her shoulder, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay to drop your guard every once in a while, Eric."

Eric frowned. It sounded like Tori gave him permission to go after a certain initiate. There were no official rules about dating an initiate, but everyone understood that it was wrong. If he wanted to go after Nina he wouldn't ask anyone for permission though.

"She is an initiate, Tori." He stated.

Tori snorted, "So?"

He couldn't believe that he needed to remind Tori that it was wrong, "So there are multiple reasons for it being wrong. She being too young for me, being the main reason."

Tori didn't seem to agree with him, "She entered adulthood after the choosing ceremony." She reminded him, "You're only nineteen Eric." She mocked him.

Eric pricked his hamburger forcefully, "Whatever." He mumbled, indicating to Tori that their conversation was over.

He had a feeling that everyone was pressing him to go after an initiate because they thought it would change him. They were still wary of him and this gave them an opportunity to make him less intimidating and more caring, he guessed.

* * *

Nina followed the other initiates back into the training room. Her lunch break only lasted ten minutes because she had caught a part of Eric's conversation with Four and started freaking out. She was certain everything was now out of her system thanks to the punching bags in the training room.  
She purposely stayed in the back while Christina was telling them what they'd do for the rest of the day. The frustration she had felt faded, but that didn't mean she could face Eric yet. She didn't know why but his words had actually hurt. He made her sound like some random person who didn't mean anything to him at all.

"The rest of the day you'll be practicing what you've been taught so far. The trainers are here for some tips if you need them." Christina glanced around the room, "Get to work, initiates."

Nina grabbed onto Aaron's sleeve when he wanted to walk away and shrugged a shoulder when he gave her a questionable look. He seemed to notice how uncomfortable she felt and nodded to the punching bag.

"I'm going to practice over there, wanna come with?"

She released his sleeve and followed after him, taking the punching bag next to him. She had been beating one up for almost forty minutes during her lunch break, but she guessed it wouldn't hurt to practice some more.

"It's scary how good you are at this." Aaron mumbled as he glanced at her.

She didn't mention she was quite familiar with the punching bag now. She had a feeling Aaron could guess it.

"Well it doesn't punch me back, so I guess it's easy enough."

Aaron chuckled, using more force to his punches, "Even if it did, I'm certain you'd handle yourself well."

"Why does everyone assume things about me?" She mumbled, "I might end up being a huge disappointment."

Aaron froze mid punch, "You've done better than everyone's expectation. Your looks are quite deceiving."

Nina glanced down at her clothing. She wore the basic Dauntless clothing Dauntless had provided them. She still needed to go shopping and she was going to ask Lacey after dinner. She didn't see what Aaron was talking about, but she guessed he was right. Everyone seemed impressed because they had a certain image of her.

"He knew." She whispered.

Aaron raised an eyebrow at her, "Who?"

She shook her head and focused back on her punching bag. Eric had seen right through her. She hated him more for that.

"Is this a tea party, initiates?"

His voice resonated through her body, causing her to gulp. She hadn't noticed him, but now she could feel his eyes piercing into her back. She spun around and Aaron quickly followed. Tilting her head she stared right into his eyes.

"If you're bored I'm happy to think of something to keep you occupied the rest of this session."

Eric sounded so cold, his gaze could actually freeze someone. She stepped back unconsciously, not understanding what they had done wrong.

Aaron gulped, "We were just-"

"Goofing around instead of using this time wisely to practice your skills." Eric interrupted, "Apparently we're boring you." He stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Nina's, "So you'll be doing laps for the rest of the day."

"Laps?" Nina asked confused, "We didn't do anything wrong-"

"Look around." Eric's tone warning her to keep her mouth shut, "Everyone is taking this seriously."

She dropped her hands to her side, taking a deep breath. She guessed that in Eric's eyes they were fooling around, but they were actually working. She wanted to tell him that, but something in his eyes just made her shut down completely. She had never seen so much anger in his eyes before. She watched Aaron jog to the outer circle of the room, and shot a glance at Eric, who had an impatient look in his eyes.

"Do I need to repeat myself, initiate?"

She clenched her jaw, forcing every curse word that came to mind back. She shook her head mechanically and followed after Aaron.

"Just so you know, initiates, there are eyes everywhere here." Eric warned them, "If you slack off I'll know." With that he left the room, probably to head to Lauren for a quick check-up before he'd head to Candor.

She felt the sympatric looks they received from the other initiates. Eric scared the hell out of everyone and apparently he made an example out of her and Aaron. _If you slacked off you'd get punished._ She didn't understand why he insisted on being the bad guy, but he was really good at it.  
She finally caught up with Aaron and tried to jog on the same pace as him. Aaron was faster than her because of his long legs. She managed to keep up with him though.

"Your boyfriend seriously needs to get laid."

She scoffed, "He is not my boyfriend!"

Her exclamation made everyone stare at her and Aaron, which caused the annoying asshole to laugh.

"I guess not. He wouldn't torture his girl like this."

"Maybe he likes to torture his girlfriend, you don't know what he's into."

Aaron glanced over his shoulder, "I've a feeling you'll find out and enlighten me."

She took a sprint to catch up with him again and smacked him across the head. Aaron only responded with a laugh. They focused on their laps instead, since they'd need to save up on their breath. They still had five hours to go before it was dinner time. She had a feeling she wouldn't make dinner though.  
After two hours of running her whole outfit was drenched in sweat. Her body ached and she couldn't move anymore. She still had three hours to go though. Aaron had a bit more energy in him, but she could tell by the grimace on his face that he was also in pain.

"I can't." She panted when Four approached them, "I can't do this anymore." She managed to say between breaths.

Four placed his hand on her shoulder, "Let's go to the med unit." She hesitated but didn't speak up when Four narrowed his eyes on her, "Eric will approve, he'll settle with you being in the med unit."

She knew Four was right. Lacey mentioned that Eric made the Dauntless born stop their punishment when one of them passed out. She was close to passing out. She could feel it. The room was spinning and sometimes the light seem to fade. She was glad Four had a strong grip on her arm, because if she did pass out she wouldn't hit the floor with her head.

"I think I'm going to pass out." She whispered, feeling Four grip her arm tighter.

He sped up his pace, "We're almost there, Nina, just push yourself a little bit further."

She giggled, her head was acting up, probably because of the lack of oxygen, "I'll push myself to breaking point." She mumbled.

She could have sworn she heard Four chuckle, but again, it could also be her head playing a joke on her. She was blinking wildely when Four pushed through the doors of the med unit. All the sounds around her were fading, and suddenly the room became pitch black.  
When she opened her eyes again, Lacey's grin was the first thing she saw. She groaned, placing an arm over her eyes to block the lighting.

"Wake up princess, you're going to miss dinner." Lacey mocked her.

She pouted, "I don't want to."

She felt the sheets shifting and dropped her arm to look at Lacey who was pulling back the sheets.

"You don't have a choice, Four ordered me to wake you when it's dinner time." Lacey gave her a look, "What he says goes."

"I've been unconscious for three hours?" Nina asked as she remembered the punishment she had to endure.

"Yeah." Lacey chuckled, "Pretty much."

Taking a deep breath, Nina forced her tired body out of the small bed and tried to stand steady on her feet. Lacey grabbed onto her arm and helped her catch her balance.

"Everything hurts." Nina mumbled.

Lacey released her arm once she thought it was safe, "That happens when you piss off Eric."

Nina scowled, "Everything pisses him off." She mumbled, zipping up her jacket while she followed Lacey out of the med unit, "We did nothing wrong. He made us do laps without a good reason."

Something in Lacey's eyes changed. Nina noticed how her eyes warmed up and she started to act kind of nervous. She didn't know what she had said to make Lacey look so uncomfortable.

"Aaron managed to go three hours straight." Lacey sounded impressed, "Four made him stop and ordered him to take a break."

"Wow, he is like a robot." Nina observed Lacey closely and smirked when she understood why her Dauntless born friend was acting so nervous, "You like him."

Lacey snorted, "No! I admire his strength."

Nina rolled her eyes, but held her tongue. Lacey was forgetting that Nina came from a faction which taught her to tell a lie from the truth. Right now Lacey was lying. She knew that the subject was sensitive so she didn't push Lacey.

"Will you go shopping with me after dinner?" She asked, trying to break the tension, "I need some real clothing."

Lacey laced her arm around hers, "I thought you'd never ask."

They entered the crowded dining hall. Nina felt so out of place since she needed a shower and some fresh clothing. Thankfully no one noticed her discomfort. Lacey headed straight for their usual table and ordered her to sit down.

"There she is." Aaron was sitting at the Dauntless born table, somehow he earned the respect of Lacey and her friends, "Thought you died in there."

She scowled at Aaron, "It takes more than running laps to kill me."

The rest of dinner went by quickly. They were starting to get familiar with each other. Lacey got excited when it was time to go shopping. They left their friends at the table and raced to the pit which was now full of life. A lot of Dauntless members were drinking and fooling around. They passed a few drunk men and entered the clothing shop.

"A rule here is to wear tight pants and shirts. Basically everything is pretty much tight around here." Lacey said smirking when Nina raised an eyebrow at her, "It's not an official rule, but that's how they usually dress up."

Nina let Lacey show her a few outfits, and tried them all on. She bought news shirts, pants and underwear. After clothing they browsed through the make-up section. She was actually having fun shopping together with Lacey. It almost made her forget about the ridiculous punishment she had to endure today, almost.

"I think you're good for a while." Lacey placed a dress on top of the clothing pile Nina was holding and pushed her toward the counter where a shop-assistant with bright pink hair was waiting.

After paying for the clothes, Nina left the shop together with Lacey. She stopped in her tracks when she caught the stare of blue intimidating eyes. She stared right back at him, feeling butterflies in her stomach when she noticed how intense the look in his eyes was. He was together with Four and Tori, a black bottle in his hand. He didn't seem upset so she guessed she wasn't in trouble.

"Princess, are you coming or what?"

She hated Lacey's new nickname for her, frowning she followed after the blonde Dauntless born, breaking eye contact with Eric.

"As your friend I'm going to be honest with you." Lacey stopped in her tracks abruptly, causing Nina to bump into her, "You need to take a shower."

Nina knew she needed a shower. After running laps for two hours straight she had passed out. She hadn't been in the dorm for the whole day, and a shower sounded like heaven to her right now.

"I need a shower and my bed." She mumbled, "I need to go this way." She pointed to the narrow hallway on her right, "I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast."

Nina made her way to the dorm and smiled when she noticed that the room was completely empty. It was their free time so she guessed that most of them were at the pit, hanging out. It was the perfect opportunity for her to take a shower without having to watch her back.  
She took a long shower and dressed into a black tank top and sweats. Getting comfy in her bed she passed out the moment her head hit the soft pillow.


	5. Capture the Flag

Thank you everyone who support this story. That means a lot to me. It's been a while since I've written a fanfiction because I was focused on my original work instead. Anyways I just want to make a few things clear…

**I've based Eric upon Jai Courtney's view on him. So I'm not following the book at all when it comes to him.**

**I'm also going to make Peter a bit more charming in this story, following Miles Teller view on him.**

Lastly,  
nemesisswan, FoureverDivergent04, Vex, morbidly-funny, PrincesiiTha, lah0408, momo9411, thepandagirl16, licia33, SanctuaryObsessed and rhiannonburr thank you for leaving a review!

**Chapter Five – Capture the Flag**

* * *

Nina glanced one last time in the mirror, and turned on her heels, almost running into Aaron whose eyes shined amusingly.

"What are you grinning about?" She asked warily, stepping aside so he could use the mirror.

He shrugged a shoulder, "You look good." He mumbled, "It's funny to see how low your confidence is when you look like that."

She lifted a sharp eyebrow, "Like what?"

He shook his head, turning his back to her so he could do his hair in front of the mirror, "You get noticed by a lot of men, yet you're insecure about your looks. That's funny since you give off the feeling of a girl who is not afraid of anything."

"Stop analyzing me." She walked out of the bathroom, feeling completely naked because Aaron somehow managed to see her insecurities.

She grabbed her jacket off her bed and shrugged it on quickly. Katie followed after her to the dining hall, being in a cheery mood. She didn't question Katie, but the cheery mood she was in definitely made Nina feel a lot better.  
Katie made her way to the table where the other transfers usually sat as well. Nina was about to join her, but froze when Tris called her name and gestured for her to come over.  
She warily made her way over to the table where the leaders of Dauntless usually sat and took a seat across Tris and Four. They both seemed to be in the same mood this morning as Katie, it made her wonder if there was something in the water here at Dauntless.

"Are you feeling better this morning?" Tris asked as she filled up her plate with a muffin and some fruit, "Four said you ended up in the med unit after Eric's punishment."

Nina grabbed a muffin placing it on her plate, "I feel a lot better. I'm done with the running though."

Four snorted, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him in question, "You're not done with the running part."

She felt her heart squeeze painfully when he said that, "We're going for a run this morning, aren't we?" She asked, tearing her muffin into little pieces to vent her anger.

He actually had an apologizing look in his eyes, which made her feel slightly better, "Building up your stamina is going to help during the fights. "

She noticed that Four was wearing his jacket zipped up and had an exciting look in his eyes. She doubted he'd be excited about doing laps in the training room so she figured they would do something special this morning.

"We're going to do laps around the city?"

Four nodded, "Change of scenery."

Nina noticed how Tris's eyes lit up and followed her gaze. Her heart started beating insanely fast when the familiar pair of blue eyes stared right back at her, and made his way over to their table.  
She looked away when he neared the table and focused on her breakfast instead. She could feel him taking a seat next to her, but refused to look at him. Last night she had seen something in his eyes which made her cheeks burn up. She didn't want to look at him anymore because Eric was a huge distraction. She needed to focus on her initiation instead.

"You going to join them for a run this morning, Eric?" Tris's eyes were glowing with curiosity, "You bailed on Lauren yesterday."

"I don't need to build up my stamina so I pass on the running part." Nina felt Eric's eyes on her again but refused to look up, "Some people could use the extra training though."

Nina felt like he targeted her, but she still didn't react. She knew that if she opened her big mouth things between her and Eric would only escalate. She was certain after yesterday punishment that she didn't want to be on his bad side. Eric could make her life hell at Dauntless. So keeping her mouth shut was the best thing she could do.

"I thought some people did pretty well." Tris casually stated.

Eric gave Tris a look which could have killed her if looks could actually kill, "Pretty well?" He repeated quietly, "Passing out after two hours of running is just pathetic."

Nina dropped a piece of her muffin on her plate and finally looked up, matching Eric's deadly look, "I'm sorry I'm not a robot who can run five hours straight without taking a break." She didn't want to sound so sarcastic but she couldn't help herself.

Four must have noticed the tension between Eric and Nina because he quickly spoke up, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Doing laps for five hours straight was kind of a harsh punishment, Eric."

"Since she was fooling around I thought I'll give her something to do, you think that's unfair, Four?"

Nina noticed how Four and Tris shared a look. Some silent communication was going on between them before Tris followed Four's gaze toward the transfer table. Nina frowned when the couple smiled and glanced at Eric with amused eyes.

"I don't think it's unfair to punish someone for fooling around during training." Four spoke calmly, "But running for five hours is too much. A starter could never do that."

Eric didn't seem to agree with Four, but she came to realize that Eric and Four had a lot of subjects which they had different opinions about.

"So I guess it's her lucky day." Eric's smile didn't reach his eyes, "She has the advantage here once again."

Nina drank the last remains of her water and left the table without saying anything. She wanted to throw her cup at Eric's head, but she knew he'd either kick her out of Dauntless or keep her just to torture her the rest of her life. Becoming factionless didn't sound so bad anymore.  
She joined Katie and Aaron at the transfer table and smiled when Katie handed her a grape. She popped it in her mouth, ignoring all the stares she received from the other initiates.

"That seemed pretty intense." Aaron remarked, "Did he scold you for yesterday?"

Nina snorted, "He made fun of me, actually." She clenched her fist as she heard his words echo through her mind, "We're going for a run around the city today, I feel like he did this on purpose just to taunt me some more."

"Like he wants to push you and see when you'll break?" Aaron asked curiously.

She nodded, "It feels like it."

She didn't like the way his lips curled up to a devious smirk, "Like he is torturing his girl because it gets him off."

She flipped him off, glaring at Aaron when he dared to laugh, "Stop saying that, people will get the wrong idea."

Katie was grinning just as widely as Aaron, "It seems like the leaders of Dauntless really like you though." She glanced at the table where the leaders were seated, "Whatever you're doing caught their attention."

"But I'm not doing anything special." Nina mumbled.

Nina frowned when Aaron flashed her a 'I know why' smile, "I think it started with you catching one of the leader's attention, then the rest just followed." He stated full of confidence, "Out of curiosity of course."

She rolled her eyes, "You were Candor not Erudite, you don't know the facts."

Katie burst out in laughter, patting Aaron on the back, "She is right, all you're doing is giving your opinion."

"And I'm damn good at giving my opinion." Aaron sounded defeated, "It's time for training."

Nina groaned as she followed after Aaron and Katie, "I hate today's training session already." She pressed her lips together when Four threw her a grin.

Aaron placed an arm around her shoulders, "Look at it this way, we're already prepared. We'll probably finish this running around the city tour faster than everybody else."

She wanted to deny it, but she knew that Aaron was somewhat right, "I guess." She pushed him off her, glaring at him when he dared the chuckle, "I'll kick your ass if you make fun of me again."

"No ass kicking until the matches on Friday." Four warned her though he sounded amused as he pushed through the door of the training room and stood in the middle of the room together with Christina, "Alright listen up!" Him speaking up caught everyone's attention since Christina was usually the one who lectured them, "We're going for a run today. On this run I'll show you some of the places Dauntless soldiers patrol nowadays to keep the peace in the city."

"I thought the soldiers only guarded the fence?" Katie asked.

"That used to be the only priority we had, but considering the war, we've been given the task to patrol the city."

Nina knew she was speaking out of line but she couldn't help herself, "The other factions gave Dauntless this task?"

Four nodded, "I thought I said we were given this task, so obviously."

"The other factions don't trust Dauntless though." She muttered and ignored the warnings both Katie and Aaron whispered to her.

Aaron gripped her arm tightly in his hand and stepped forward, "When will we be practicing for the matches this Friday?"

Four didn't forget about her speaking up, she could tell by the glare she received, but he ignored her comment and focused on Aaron's question instead. She knew that Aaron only asked that question to save her ass.

"After lunch we'll let you practice the attack moves Christina taught you yesterday." Four glanced at each one of them, "Tomorrow will be the last day of practicing before you'll be getting graded for your fighting skills. Remember that one of you will be leaving us after the matches, so give it your all."

Christina zipped her jacket up, "Okay follow me initiates."

They followed after Christina and left the Dauntless compound. It had been days since they've last been outside. The light was actually hurting their eyes. Nina glanced at Aaron who seemed a bit too excited about this run. She just rolled her eyes on him, snickering when he playfully pushed her aside.

"I bet I'll finish this run first." He challenged her.

She hated the competitive side of her because it actually made her accept the ridiculous challenge, "I'm sure I can beat you, Aaron."

"You passed out after a two hour run, I'm pretty sure you won't make it, princess."

She cursed loudly, causing everyone to stare at her. Damn, Lacey shared her stupid nickname with Aaron. It shouldn't surprise her since she had a feeling that Lacey liked Aaron.

"You'll regret this." Nina mumbled as she picked up her pace and jumped into the moving train after Christina, effortlessly. She knew it was due to her being so pissed off she couldn't even think straight.

She didn't talk to anyone during the train ride, she just focused on saving her energy for the run. They were almost nearing the city center so she stretched a little. Her body still felt a little stiff because of yesterday's punishment, but she wouldn't let Aaron win.  
She eyed Aaron who was stretching as well, having a damn amused smirk on his face. Christina yelled for them to get ready. She tore her eyes away from Aaron and focused on Christina instead.

Christina stepped back, preparing to jump, "This is our stop!" She jumped out first, and the rest of the initiates followed.

Nina jumped out after Katie, actually landing a bit better than the first time she jumped out of a train. She was improving which was a good sign.

Christina paced back and forth as all the initiates lined up, waiting for her instructions, "Four will be running ahead of the group. I'll be at the back, if you can't continue we'll leave you behind and you'll have to catch a train back to Dauntless by yourself." She smirked as she eyed every single initiate with a wicked gleam in her eyes, "Keep in mind that Eric will be waiting at the compound so if you arrive alone, he'll welcome you back, warmly."

Nina could feel everyone's fear after Christina mentioned Eric. He definitely made sure they'd be so scared of him they're having nightmares. Four gestured for everyone to follow him, starting with a soft pace. Nina shot Aaron one last glare before she jogged after Four, making sure to stay close to him.  
After an hour of running her energy level was still the same, she wasn't even close to being tired yet. She kept up with Four, showing Aaron that she could finish this run without passing out.

"I guess yesterday's laps were helpful after all." Four grinned at her.

If it was Aaron who made that comment she would have hit him, she doubted Four would let her hit him though. She just flashed him a fake smile, forcing herself not to raise her hand to flip him off. In the end she wasn't strong enough to hold herself back and flipped Four off. His look definitely matched Eric's when he tried to look like the bad ass leader, but he didn't scold her nor punish her. She was scared that this might come back to haunt her later.

* * *

Eric pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to forget the ridiculous suggestion Four just made. He always considered Four to be as intelligent as him, it was a trait he could appreciate. Today however Four proved him wrong.

"She is familiar there, and someone Jack might trust."

"She is also just an initiate, it might give her the wrong idea." Eric reminded Four.

"Looking at the rankings you could say that she'll probably make it." Tris said casually, playing around with the food on her plate, "You don't want me to accompany you, but you don't like Four's suggestion either." She pointed her fork at Eric, "Do you want to meet Jack on your own? That just makes people uncomfortable."

He didn't need to be reminded of how some people at Dauntless felt about him. He knew, the looks he received occasionally said enough.  
Harrison was occupied with monitoring the control room, Tori's tattoo appointment was running late, Four had to oversee Christina and Tris was getting prepped for her leadership position. He was glad Tori couldn't make it, but it also messed up his entire schedule. Last thing he wanted was to show up at Jack's office late and miss the Dauntless tradition of capture the flag.

"Is it a hard one to figure out?" Four asked sarcastically, "You trust her."

"I trust her more than the other initiates, yes." Eric admitted gruffly, "Again, it might give her the wrong idea about her position here at Dauntless. I thought you were the one pressing for everyone to be treated equally, Four."

"I think you shouldn't listen to everything I tell you." Four glanced at Tris, making it pretty clear to Eric that he changed his mind about that subject.

Tris interrupted their silent communication, "Don't make this more complicated, Eric. If it makes you feel any better just tell her it's punishment for her behavior this morning."

Eric frowned, "What happened this morning?"

Four's look suddenly darkened, "She flipped me off this morning."

Eric pressed his lips together to make sure he didn't laugh out loud. Tris didn't keep her posture as well as him and burst out in laughter.

Four wasn't as amused as Eric and Tris though, "Yeah just tell her she has to tag along because she showed no respect toward a Dauntless leader."

Eric raised his cup to his lips, suddenly feeling a lot better. If she had actually punched Four in the face it would have been even better. He knew if Four had pushed her enough she probably would have done that. Nina was after all like a little firecracker.

"Should we make her do laps again?" Eric asked trying to sound as emotionless as possible, "Or maybe some pushups for the sake of variation."

"You're fucking hilarious." Four flipped Eric off, causing both Eric and Tris to share a laugh this time.

That did not happen very often, it actually never happened. Nina apparently caused them to get along a little bit better. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Stiff." Eric got up and straightened his jacket, trying to pull his face back to the impassive mask he was known for, "Just to be clear, I'll be kicking your ass tonight."

"Really?" Four's lips curled up to a smirk, "Last time I checked I kicked your ass, twice."

"You might want to hurry up" Tris interrupted, pointing to the table where Nina was sitting, "It looks like she's leaving."

Eric bit back all the sharp remarks that echoed through his head and made his way to Nina's table, trying hard not to respond to all the scared looks he received. He noticed how Aaron elbowed Nina in the side, giving her a stern look. That Candor boy proved to be far more intelligent than he first suspected.

"Get up, initiate." He gave her an impatient look when she just stared at him, "The one who disrespected a Dauntless leader this morning should get up and follow me."

"Disrespected a Dauntless leader?" The brunette from Erudite asked, "What did you do this time?"

Nina snorted, "Why do you guys always assume I did something wrong." She flicked her hair back and got up, "You guys are not my friends." She followed after Eric and glared at him when he threw her a mocking look, "I should have punched him in the face." She mumbled, thinking he didn't hear her.

He actually would have loved seeing that, but she wouldn't get away with it. Four was also a head taller than her so either she had to leap onto him or she would have to settle with punching him in the stomach.

"Do I have to do laps again?" She asked sarcastically.

Eric guided her to the dorm which confused her. He had to bite back a smirk when she hesitated to enter the dorm.

"You need to grab your jacket because we're going on a short trip today."

She walked in cautiously, heading to her bed to grab her jacket. She zipped it up and slowly made her way back to him. He could tell that she didn't trust the situation.

"Where are we going exactly?"

He placed his hand on her lower back, smirking when he actually felt her shiver when he touched her. He pressed his hand firmer against her back and made sure to lead her to the exit so they could catch the train to Candor. She inhaled deeply when they walked out of the compound and turned to look at him.

"We're going to catch a train?"

He pointed to the tracks, "We're taking that train to Candor."

"You're trying to get rid of me?" She asked confused, jogging to the train tracks, "I thought that I'd become factionless if I didn't make initiation."

He hopped on the tracks next to her and glanced at his watch. The train would arrive in two minutes so they were going to be on schedule. He had to be back in time to make it for capture the flag. This year he'd defeat Four, he just had to.

"I'm heading to Candor for my daily report and I'm babysitting you at the same time." He threw her a look, "You hurt Four's feelings."

She folded her arms across her chest, "He seemed perfectly fine to me." She muttered, "Never thought he'd go running to you."

He could hear the train coming up and started to jog, "You should consider the fact that it's just you and me on this train, so think twice before you say anything to me." He reminded her and hopped onto the train once the opportunity presented itself.

She managed to jump in after him, and leaned back against the wall next to the door, catching her breath.

"I've never run so much in my life before." She brushed her hair out of her face and glanced at him, "So if I say something you don't like you're going to push me off the train?"

Eric leaned against the wall across her, "Stop testing my patience." He warned her, glancing at his watch again, "We shouldn't waste time when we arrive at Candor."

She pouted her lips, "Why? Do you have something planned?"

He thought he heard a hint of worry in her voice, but when he looked her in the eyes he saw nothing but curiosity shining in her piercing blue eyes.

"A little Dauntless tradition I can't miss." He smirked when he saw her eyes growing bigger, her curiosity always amused him, "When we get back from Candor you should head straight to bed after dinner."

He didn't need to tell her more, because he could tell by the look in her eyes that she understood what he was trying to tell her.

"Okay so the objective here is to get in and out within thirty minutes."

He bit back a chuckle, knowing he had to make one last thing clear with her, "Dauntless is your family now, so you don't disrespect your faction while we're visiting Candor."

She snorted, but quickly looked down when he threw her a glare, "I get it, Eric."

He wasn't sure if she understood it. It was always hard to say goodbye to your family and he knew from the daily visits at Candor that she and brother were pretty close.

* * *

Nina was walking behind Eric, her eyes fixed on his broad shoulders as he moved. His strides were full of confidence and everyone moved out of his way. She bit her lip, trying to push back the feeling that started to boil in her stomach. Eric was attractive, yes, but she never thought that this side of him only made her find him more attractive. She had to be losing her mind. She was so conflicted with herself that she did not notice William who jumped into Eric's view. He was the first person who didn't move and just stopped and stared.

"Nina?"

That definitely ripped her out of her thoughts, she forced herself to stay where she was because Eric's words were echoing through her mind. She could not disrespect her new faction, so she should definitely stay where she was and greet her brother more formally, at least till Eric left the room.

She flashed William a small smile, "William."

William was a bright man so she knew that brother got the hint. William glanced from her to Eric and slightly stepped back. She couldn't see what look Eric gave her brother, but from William's behavior she knew that Eric just intimidated her brother.

"You're early today." William said calmly, yet Nina could tell that her brother was anxious as he spoke to Eric.

"I have a busy schedule today." Eric said, glancing over his shoulder to her, "I'm going to give Jack my daily report, you can stay here with your brother."

She watched Eric disappear into Jack's office, inhaling sharply when he threw her a warning glace. She blinked when she felt William grab her arm and lead her to the waiting area, taking a seat on the black couch.

"You look so different." William observed her from head to toe, "It has been a few days, but you already look so…Dauntless."

She tilted her head to the side, "It's just the clothes, William."

He shook his head, "No it's your attitude as well, the air around you changed."

She didn't know what her brother was talking about, she didn't feel different. William knew her quite well though so she would just believe his words.

"Why are you here together with Eric?" Her brother asked after a while, "He is supposed to stop by with another Dauntless leader."

Nina shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know…"

She did know though and by the looks of it her brother knew she was lying. She cursed his Candor ability to detect a lie from the truth.

"He says he has to babysit me because I did something disrespectful toward Four, the Dauntless leader who used to pay Jack a visit together with Eric." She glanced at the Jack's office, relieved that the door was still closed, "It has to be something else though, Eric doesn't particularly care about Four."

"I told you not to open your mouth in front of that man." William whispered harshly, "He is not someone you want to piss off."

She snorted, "Oh I know." She leaned back against the couch and started to tell her brother everything she went though, keeping her eyes focused on Jack's office.

Nina was about to tell her brother about her flipping Four off during their run when Eric suddenly walked out of Jack's office. She didn't finish her sentence and rose to her feet. William got the hint and did the same, nodding at Eric in a form of a greeting.

"Let's go, initiate, we can't waste a second. Remember?"

She followed after Eric, jogging a little to catch up with his quick strides, "I'm not an idiot, of course I remember." She mumbled, almost bumping into Eric when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"Did you just talk back at me?" He asked her, his voice ringing with authority, "Be careful Nina, because tonight during our little Dauntless tradition I can actually hurt you without a legitimate reason."

She gulped, a shaky breath leaving her lips when she processed his threat. He was going to hurt her? She blinked when Eric chuckled loudly and shook his head, turning on his heels and heading straight for the train.  
She started to wonder about this Dauntless tradition Eric kept talking about. He seemed so excited about it that it caught her interest.  
The ride back to Dauntless was quiet, but Eric was in a good mood. She guessed that showing him she actually feared him when he threatened her made him content. This man was so confusing, or rather her feelings for this man were so confusing. She didn't understand him at all while when he looked at her she got the feeling that he knew exactly who she was.  
When they arrived at the Dauntless compound Eric went straight for the glass building, most likely to report back to the other leaders. She didn't bother with him because him being amused with her discomfort just pissed her off. She wondered if she could hurt Eric without a legitimate reason at whatever Dauntless tradition he was talking about. A wide grin spread across her face as she mentally pictured hurting the big, bad Dauntless leader.

"That is one wicked grin." Lacey said, pulling her out of her fantasy.

Nina noticed that Aaron had his arm around Lacey's shoulders as she sat across 'the couple'. She glanced from Aaron to Lacey and lifted an eyebrow at them.

"Did I miss something?" She asked gesturing between her two friends.

She poured herself a cup of water and raised it to her lips, eying both Aaron and Lacey suspiciously.

"We hooked up after training." Lacey shrugged nonchalantly, acting as if she talked about the weather.

Nina just blinked at them, not knowing what to say when they suddenly burst into laughter. Another two people who were making fun of her. She just shook her head and gulped down the last remains of her water.

"Fine, if you're going to mock me I won't share the information Eric provided me."

That definitely caught their attention. Aaron released Lacey and leaned forward resting his elbows on the table.

"What did your boyfriend tell you?"

She kicked Aaron under the table, "He is _not_ my boyfriend." She hissed, "And I told you I wouldn't tell you if keep mocking me!"

Lacey slapped Aaron's shoulder, "We'll stop." She said narrowed her eyes on Aaron in a warning before she focused back on Nina, "What do you know?"

Nina glanced around making sure it was just the three of them before she spoke up, "Tonight something is going to happen. Eric kept mentioning a Dauntless tradition, but I don't know what he means by that."

Lacey's face lit up, "Capture the flag." She whispered to them, "We're going to play capture the flag tonight!" She whispered a bit louder, but still only loud enough for them to hear, "You can't tell anyone, that way we have an advantage."

"A game?" Nina asked confused, "He is so excited about a game?"

Lacey grinned, "Eric lost two times in a row to Four. I guess he believes he can win this year because he can pick a certain initiate who has perfect accuracy thanks to him."

Then it hit Nina, Eric threatened to shoot her if she annoyed him. She doubted he'd pick her because he wanted to hurt her.

"Don't get your hopes up, he said he'd love to hurt me because tonight he can."

Lacey frowned, "Odd, I thought he'd want you in his team because he did teach you how to shoot a gun."

"Listen, Nina…" Aaron pulled his face to an impassive mask, "Even if he does shoot you tonight you should still do him. Since he is interested in you he gives you inside information-" He shared a look with Lacey who smirked in return, "It will make initiation a hell lot easier if we know what to expect."

She raised her hand and flipped him the bird, "Fuck you." She told them, "Both of you." She spotted Tris sitting alone with Four at the leader's table and left Lacey and Aaron, joining Tris and Four instead.

"You love giving people the finger, don't you?" Four asked amused when she joined them.

She forced a smile on her face, "If people would stop teasing me I'd stop giving them the finger."

Tris glanced at the table where Lacey and Aaron were seated, a grin spreading across her face. She didn't say anything though which Nina appreciated. She started talking about the upcoming fights instead and Nina listened intently because the tips Tris was giving her would definitely be useful.

* * *

Eric tapped his foot as he glanced at his watch once again. Four stalked toward him, followed by Nina and that nosy Candor boy. Four handed him the package with the guns and stepped into the train, an amused look glistering in his eyes.  
Eric tried to ignore it and watched all the initiates get onto to train one by one. When the last one stepped on, he hopped on as well and moved to the middle cart.

"Listen up, initiates!" Half of the initiates looked like they might pass out because of the lack of sleep, "Tonight we're playing capture the flag, a little Dauntless tradition." He glanced at Four who stood in the corner with his arms folded across his chest, "Two teams, Four and I are captains-"

Four moved forward, standing beside him, "I get to pick first since I won two times in a row-" He flashed Eric a grin, "You don't mind, right?"

Eric rolled his eyes and gestured for Four to go right ahead, "Transfers first." He muttered and watched Four closely.

"Nina."

Eric raised an eyebrow at Four, "Aaron."

Four still didn't look around, apparently the Stiff made a list in his mind when he stood in the corner while observing the scene.

"Sara."

"Repeating your tactic from last year?" Eric asked, glancing around the remaining transfers, "Katie."

"Something like that." Four seemed in high spirits tonight, "Harvey." He called, stepping aside so the transfer could join the rest of the team.

Eric pointed to the remaining transfer, "You're with me." He glanced around the compartment, "Dauntless born are next. Go right ahead, Four."

After dividing the Dauntless born Eric raised a gun in the air, showing them their weapon of choice for capture the flag.

"This gun simulates the pain of a real bullet." He made sure to raise his voice a little, "So whoever dares to fool around before the game starts will have the honor of becoming my real life dummy while I practice my shooting."

Four handed his team their guns and turned to Eric, "We're getting off first."

Eric clenched his jaw as he watched the Stiff open the door, "You sure have a lot of demands."

Four grabbed the railing and placed one foot out of the train, "Since you seem to be in half a good mood I figured I could get away with it." He chuckled when Eric cursed and glanced at his team, "This is our stop." He said before jumping out, landing perfectly on his feet.

Eric couldn't wait to shoot the fucker, paying him back for last year. He glanced up when Nina looked at him before she jumped out. He could have sworn he saw something dark in her eyes, a promise maybe. If she wanted to play rough he was more than willingly to play along.

* * *

Somehow Nina got paired up with Four to haunt Aaron and Eric to take them out since they were the strongest members in their team. She wanted to stay behind and defend the flag together with Lacey and Emily but her stupid perfect accuracy landed her this job.

"Stop looking so damn excited." Four whispered to her.

She sighed, holding tighter onto her gun, "Sorry. I just don't like this job. I would have been better at defending the flag."

"Since you didn't get the task of defending the flag, I suggest you focus on the task you did get." Four used his instructor voice, making her smile, "Aaron's accuracy is better than yours."

Nina started to pay close attention to her surroundings since she knew Four was right, "Yes, and Eric wants to shoot me just for fun." She mumbled, clenching her jaw when Four chuckled, "That's not funny!" She whispered harshly, "I think Aaron is guarding the flag. I don't know about Eric."

"Last year his whole team stayed behind to guard the flag, he might go for a different approach this year." Four stopped her from moving and pressed his finger to his lips, indicating for her to be quiet.

Nina listened to her surroundings and quickly hid behind a wall together with Four. She heard two voices, both male, and closed her eyes to focus on the voices. Eric. She didn't know who the other voice belonged to, but it didn't matter. They've found their target. Four smirked and gestured for her to stay behind while he approached their target first. She figured that Four was going to distract Eric to give her the opportunity to take him out. She rather liked that idea.  
By the sounds of guns being fired repeatedly she guessed Four and Eric were in a shoot out. They took this game way too serious for her liking. She waited for an opportunity, and smirked when she heard the sound of a click but no bullet. They were both out of bullets. She quickly took her aim, shooting Eric right in the chest earning herself a large range of colorful words from the Dauntless leader and giggled. She jumped into view and headed for Eric who pulled the dart out and threw it on the floor right in front of her feet.

Four glanced from her to Eric and smirked, "I'm going to look for our next target."

"You don't have a gun" Nina reminded him, but Four just shrugged and jogged toward the direction which Eric came from, probably searching for the second male.

"I can't believe a little girl just took me out." Eric mumbled, picking up his empty gun.

She narrowed her eyes on him, "How many times do I need to remind you that I'm not a kid?" She asked in a quiet voice, yet her eyes were burning with fire, "Did the alcohol fry your brain cells?"

She dropped her gun when she saw the deadly look Eric gave her. She wanted to kick herself for speaking up without thinking once again. She started to walk backwards when Eric dropped his gun, he followed her with an intent look in his eyes. She really went too far this time, the look in his eyes actually suffocated her. She closed her eyes and gasped when her back hit a brick wall.

"Look at me."

She shook her head, afraid of what she might see. She focused on the pain in her back instead because it faded her intense feeling of fear.

She inhaled deeply when he grabbed onto her chin and moved closer, "I said, look at me."

She snapped her eyes open and stared right into Eric's piercing blue eyes, mixed with gray. He was so close she could feel his hot breath fanning across her face. Without thinking she pressed her palm against his chest where she had shot him and watched him look down at her hand. The warmth radiating from him was actually quite comforting. She pressed her hand firmer against his chest and grabbed onto his bicep with her left hand. He slowly raised his head again, meeting her eyes.  
Her breathing picked up when she noticed the look in his eyes had changed. The deadly look had faded, and something more intense and much more dangerous replaced it. He held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity before he shook his head and snapped out of his own daze.  
He quickly dropped his arms and jumped back, cursing under his breath while he ran a hand through his blonde hair. She stood frozen in her spot, not knowing what to do or how to react. She shared a moment with Eric and by the looks of it he definitely regretted it.  
Her eyes widened to the size of plates when she felt a surging pain coming from her shoulder. She looked at her right shoulder, clenching her jaw tightly to refrain from groaning out in pain. She looked up and saw Aaron standing behind Eric with a devious look on his face.

"Fucking Aaron." Nina muttered, grabbing onto the dart in her shoulder and pulling it out, this time she did groan out in pain.

Eric patted Aaron on the shoulder, "He went that way." He nodded in Four's direction and watched her with amused eyes while Aaron jogged away, laughing loudly.

"Stings, doesn't it?" His eyes glittered amusingly, "We need to head back to the train."

Her entire right arm felt numb because of the shot she took. She rubbed her aching shoulder, glancing around in search for her gun. She spotted it a few feet away from where she was standing and picked it up, following after Eric.  
Aaron broke their intense moment, and even though the shot fucking hurt she was glad he shot her. It was a distraction from whatever happened between her and Eric.

"No fucking way." She heard Eric whisper.

She followed his gaze and saw Katie holding up a bright orange flag, cheering loudly together with her team. Eric's team had won.

"Guess you won." She muttered, walking past him to join the other transfers.

Lacey placed an arm around her shoulders and walked with her together to the train, "I got shot two fucking times." She sighed, "For a second I really thought I was dying."

"Fucking Aaron shot me." She glanced over her shoulder, shaking her head at the cheering group of initiates, "They'll be celebrating all night."

Lacey stepped into the train and leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. Nina followed and leaned her head back against the wall.

"We might have lost this game, but tomorrow Eric will be in a good mood because his team finally won so in a way…Everyone won."

She smiled, but the smile quickly faded when Aaron stood in front of them and eyed her suspiciously. He didn't say anything while he took a seat next to her, and leaned closer to her.

"You know that Lacey and I were joking during dinner, right?" He asked her quietly.

"What?"

He kept his voice low, "That thing with Eric, I don't know what it was, but you need to be careful."

She knew very well she was playing a dangerous game here, Aaron didn't need to remind her of it. She closed her eyes when Eric's look popped up in her mind. Whatever happened between them was not something he was proud of. It was better if she forgot about it because she knew she'd get hurt if she kept exploring unfamiliar territory with Eric.


	6. The Challenge

SanctuaryObsessed, Vex, momo9411 and morbidly-funny thank you for leaving a review. Thank you everyone else for reading, following and favoriting this story.

**Chapter Six – The Challenge.**

* * *

Nina dreaded going for breakfast this morning but she knew she had to. If the instructors decided to play another cruel joke on them they'd probably end up doing laps or worse. She headed for Lacey's table, taking a seat across the blonde who looked like she might pass out any minute now.

"We lost, why do you look like you've celebrated all night long?" Nina asked curiously, placing a muffin on her plate.

Lacey looked up, her eyes looking red and tired, "I celebrated with the others. It was so much fun, I wished you were there." She sighed tiredly and nodded toward the instructor table, "But we'll regret it. He is in a foul mood today. So actually be glad you weren't there."

Nina glanced around the dining hall, but only a few initiates were present for breakfast this morning. They had only fifteen minutes left before training would start so she wondered if the others would show up or would risk pissing Eric off when he was already in a bad mood.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, popping a piece of muffin in her mouth.

Lacey shrugged a shoulder, "We were celebrating in the pit and then Uriah showed up together with his friends and it just got out of hands." Lacey stifled a yawn, "Brandon is trying to wake everyone so no one arrives late during training." Lacey glanced at the transfer table, "But it looks like your class is awake and well."

"Apparently transfers were not invited to your not so private party." Nina didn't sound upset though, she was glad she was fresh and awake because this was the last day before the fights would start.

"Aaron, Katie and that other dude from your class were invited since they were part of the winning team." Lacey glanced at the transfer table again, "But they didn't show up."

Nina glanced at the leader's table instead. She thought Eric would have celebrated all night because he finally beat Four, but by the looks of it he seemed to be in a really bad mood. He was taking his anger out on his breakfast, and the look in his eyes was even more deadly than usual.

"I don't get it." She muttered, "He finally won, but he seems to be even worse than normal."

Lacey followed her gaze, "He showed up for a few minutes but probably left because he was already in such a bad mood last night."

Nina wondered if it had anything to do with whatever happened between them. Eric had jumped back and looked like a truck ran him over. They however did exchange a few words afterwards, and he seemed fine.  
She narrowed her eyes on him and watched him exchange a few words with Tori and Four. He didn't seem to like what they were telling him and he got up to his feet, he actually growled something at them before he stormed off. That was definitely not a good sign. Training would start in a few minutes and he'd join them first.

Nina quickly drank her water, "Training today will be worse than hell."

She got to her feet and walked to the training room together with the other transfers. Katie joined her, looking as wary about this training session as her. Katie was even more observant than her because of her Erudite roots, and actually whispered to her to stay out of trouble today.  
They gathered around the targets which were placed at the back of the room. Eric was looking as menacing as ever, standing by the screen while he looked over the rankings. Nina noticed that the rankings had changed. She was surprised to see that she moved a rank up, causing Lacey to fall back.

"Katie, you're nine!" She whispered, grinning widely, "You're in the top ten!"

"I'm nine." Katie matched her grin, "And look at you taking Lacey's spot."

Nina felt a bit awful for that since Lacey was her friend, "I think shooting Eric has something to do with that."

"I feel bad for Sara." Katie lowered her voice even more, "She was last when we started and she is still last."

Nina was afraid the Erudite girl wouldn't make it. Sara was Katie's friend so she knew Katie was not in the celebrating mood right now.

Four stepped forward, looking like the tough instructor again, "As you can see the rankings has changed. However don't get too excited, tomorrow the fights will start which will count heavier than all the exercises you've done so far."

Nina glanced at Eric, her heartbeat picking up when he stared right back at her. She noticed how he clenched his jaw. He actually looked furious this time. She didn't recall doing anything to piss him off like this. Staring at him actually exhausted her so she flickered her eyes back at Four, but she could feel Eric's gaze on her the entire time.

"Christina will now demonstrate how to throw a knife, pay close attention." Four warned them.

Staring at Eric made her miss the whole lecture Four had given them about knife throwing. She made sure to observe Christina's stance and movement while she threw her first knife. The first knife Christina threw at the target hit the rose, and the other two followed closely.

"Don't get fooled-" Four raised his voice a little, "Throwing a knife at a target and making it stick is not as easy as it looks." He gestured to the targets, "Line up and start practicing."

Nina grabbed a few knives off the table and stood beside Aaron. He gave a nod in Eric's direction, but she didn't follow his gaze. She knew exactly what he meant. However this time she did nothing to piss him off. Usually he wasn't even angry, he liked the challenge she provided. He admitted that to her back at Candor. She didn't know why he suddenly looked like he hated her guts, but she wouldn't ask either.

"You think you're as good at knife throwing as at shooting?" Nina asked, trying to change the subject.

Aaron swirled a knife around in his hand, and threw it straight at the target. His knife was close to the rose, but barely stuck to it. He shrugged a shoulder.

"I guess it is harder than it looks." With that his knife fell to the floor causing Nina to snicker, "Why don't you give it a try?" Aaron asked sarcastically.

Nina took a deep breath, trying to relax her body. She remembered that hitting a target was a lot easier when your body wasn't stiff. She mimicked Christina's stance and threw the knife with a lot more force than Aaron, actually causing the knife to stick to the target, but a few inches away from the rose.

Aaron nodded, "I see. You used a lot more strength when you threw the knife." He relaxed his body as well and this time he threw his knife with a lot more force, actually hitting the rose and causing it to stick.

Nina felt a shiver going down her spine. Her shoulders tensed when she felt the presence of Eric behind them. He was pacing back and forth, observing all of them. She hated that her body recognized him, it caused her to lose her focus.  
She tried hard to focus on her target again, and threw her second knife. It was a lot closer to the rose this time. She sighed in relief, swirling her third knife around in her hand while she tried to focus.  
She snapped out of her concentration when she heard Eric's voice. She glanced at her side to see Sara near tears while Eric was preaching to her, and not in a very nice way either. She glanced at Four, he just continued helping other transfers, not even bothering to step in.

"Why isn't Four doing anything?" Nina whispered to Aaron who just shrugged in response.

"Eric has a point you know, Four knows that." Aaron countered.

"Go grab your knives and try again. This time actually aim for the target." Eric stood behind Sara with his arms crossed, "What are you waiting for?" He sounded impatient, "Go grab your knives!"

Sara did step forward but Nina could tell that the girl was near breaking point. Eric's taunting caused her to lose it and she would actually get hurt if she didn't focus. Nina handed Aaron her knife who shook his head at her, looking like a parent who was very disappointed with their child's behavior.

"Stop it!" Nina called, walking around the transfers, heading straight for Sara and Eric, "You're supposed to instruct her not bully her."

Eric titled his head to the side, "I'm instructing her." His voice sounded cold and uncaring, "Go stand in front of the target." He moved to the table and grabbed three knives handing them to Sara who looked even more confused than Nina, "I'm talking to you, initiate." He pointed to Nina.

Everyone stopped, glancing from Nina to Eric as if they were watching a tennis match. Nina's anger was making her more bold than usual. She didn't even hesitate and stalked to the target, standing in front of it with her chin raised.  
She could see the challenge in Eric's eyes. She didn't know the reason for why he ordered her to stand in front of the target, but she had a feeling that he'd test her. She wouldn't show any fear no matter what, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Eric's eyes never left hers while he spoke to Sara in a clear voice, "Start practicing."

Sara's eyes widened, "But Nina-"

"I said start practicing." Eric interrupted her, "Don't make me repeat myself."

This time Four did step up, "Eric, I don't think-" He stopped midsentence and sighed tiredly, "She could seriously injure, Nina." Four looked at Eric as if he thought Eric would care.

Eric stepped closer to Sara and gestured to the target, "Throw your first knife, initiate, if your aim is off you'll hurt her."

Nina knew then that Eric was helping Sara in his own twisted way. Sara would want to throw her knife perfectly otherwise she'd hurt her. She could see the determination burning in Sara's eyes even though she was terrified of hurting Nina.  
Nina straightened her shoulders and kept her eyes focused on Eric again. She saw a knife flying toward her from the corner of her eyes, the first knife flew wide from the target. Hitting the target inches away from her right leg. This time the knife actually stuck to the target, but she knew Eric wouldn't be pleased with it.

"Good job, you finally managed to hit the target after your tenth try." Eric couldn't sound more sarcastic.

Sara threw her second knife, this time it hit the target inches away from her right shoulder. Nina actually inhaled a deep breath when Sara started aiming her knives higher. Her fellow initiate had not the perfect accuracy Aaron had, it did make her nervous. She gulped and looked at Sara and Eric again. She noticed the mocking look in Eric's eyes and knew he was enjoying every second of her discomfort.

"Eric that's enough." Four warned him.

Nina agreed with Four but didn't speak up. She was scared Sara would try and prove herself to Eric and actually try and aim her last knife a lot closer to Nina's body.

"She is actually hitting the target now, Four." Eric didn't sound worried at all, "Your waiting method sucks, we don't have that much time. Sara here wouldn't want to injure her fellow initiate, right?" Though everyone could tell Eric wasn't exactly asking, "Throw your last knife."

Nina felt her hand shaking and clenched it to a fist. She took another deep breath and forced herself to relax.

Eric narrowed his piercing blue eyes on Nina, "Throw your last knife." He repeated.

Sara threw her last knife in a rush which was bound to go wrong. A shaky breath left Nina's lips when she felt a piercing pain in her left side. She looked down to see the knife sticking to her left side, her shirt got caught in it. She heard footsteps approach her but didn't look up. She grabbed onto the knife and pulled it out of the target.

"It just grazed your skin." Four murmured, his eyes examining her skin, "They'll patch you up in the med unit." He grabbed onto her arm and led her away from the target.

She finally looked up and glared at Eric, he seemed unaffected by it though. He stepped in front of her and Four and ignored the deadly glare Four gave him as well.

"I told you before but I'll repeat myself one last time, initiate." He spat out the last word which made her hate him more, "Dauntless is not a place for rebels."

She felt tears stinging her eyes, mainly because she was so furious. She managed to keep her emotions in check and walked around Eric together with Four. She kept her mouth shut when Four's grip on her arm tightened, she figured that he was as angry as her.

"I don't know what has gotten into him." Four muttered as he stalked through the hallway without even looking where he was going, he just knew, "He changed for a bit, I thought…We hoped-" He snorted, "We're all idiots."

Nina couldn't figure out what Four was trying to say, but the wound in her side was actually hurting. Four stepped aside to let the nurse check her wound when they entered the med unit. The nurse cleaned the wound with some alcohol and told her she didn't need any stitches.

"Did you run in front of the target or something?" The woman asked amused.

Nina snorted, "Something like that."

The nurse patched her up and cleared her, Four never left her side. She had a feeling that he felt guilty for whatever happened. It wasn't his fault though, but she was just too shocked to talk about what the hell happened in the training room.

"I need to get changed." Nina said once she noticed that they were heading back to the training room, "You can head back first."

Four hesitated for a minute, "I know it was just a scratch but I can tell that you're upset. I don't think I should leave you alone in this state."

Nina's look hardened, "I'm fine, Four." She narrowed her eyes on him when he looked at her as if she was lying, "I'm really fine. I'll be right back, I just need a new shirt."

Four didn't seem to buy it, but he walked away, knowing she probably needed a few minutest to herself. Once he was out of sight she walked to the dorm and headed straight for her bed, sitting down and buried her face in her hands.  
In a very cruel way Eric taught Sara to throw knives. However Nina doubted Eric just did it to teach Sara something, she had seen the look in his eyes. He wanted to hurt her. She just didn't understand what she had done wrong to deserve to be treated like that. She would find out though, she would confront him about his ridiculous behavior and demand for him to explain himself.

* * *

Eric headed to his office when Four stopped him in the hallway. He could have walked away, but Four was also one of the Dauntless leaders who had everyone's trust, and last thing he wanted was to cause the other leaders to question him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Four asked quietly, though Eric could tell that the Stiff was burning with rage.

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Four leaned against the wall across from Eric, "I don't know what happened between you and her, but you don't take it out on her during training."

Eric tried to keep his face in its impassive mask, "Sara can actually hit the target after my method. No one got seriously injured, so you're making a big deal out of nothing." Eric narrowed his eyes on the fuming Four.

"This wasn't about an initiate not being able to hit the target, and you know it." Four stepped forward, "This is you reacting to the fear you feel of actually liking someone other than yourself."

Eric clenched his jaw, trying hard to control his thoughts. He wanted to punch Four in the face now more than ever, and Four knew it.

"Move Stiff." Eric managed to spit out.

Four stepped aside to let Eric pass, "Unlike you she does have feelings Eric." He lowered his voice, "Someone doesn't get emotionally hurt like this if they don't care."

Eric stopped in his tracks, knowing he fell right for Four's trap. He could feel the bastard's eyes piercing in his back.  
He took a deep breath and stalked to his office again, this time Four did nothing to stop him which he was grateful for. He needed time to process everything. Yesterday he almost fucked up because he couldn't control himself. He didn't like his mind being so clouded and he blamed her for it. He blamed her for everything.  
He stopped dead in his tracks when the last person he wanted to see was standing in front of his office door. He eyed her suspiciously.

"What are you doing here, initiate?" He asked her.

She was leaning against his office door, her arms folded across her chest while she glared at him.

"I'm here because we need to talk." She said every word slowly.

Eric lifted an eyebrow at her "We need to talk?" He repeated, "I thought I made myself clear in the training room." He stepped forward, but this time he didn't see the usual fear in her eyes. If he wasn't so pissed he would have praised her, "There is no place for rebels in Dauntless."

"So you used me as a target to punish me?!" She asked confused.

"I used you to help an initiate practice her skills. You volunteered so I assumed you had no problem with it."

She clenched her fist at her side, "This wasn't about Sara and you know it!"

He didn't need _her_ to preach to him about his own feelings. Four had done that already and he couldn't take more of that crap. He needed to get rid of her before he did something stupid.

He took his key out of his pocket, "Move, initiate." He stepped closer to her, leaving barely any space between them, "I have work to do and you're in the way."

She raised her chin, the challenge burning in her eyes, "I'm not moving!" She said firmly, "Not until you answer my questions."

He slammed his hand against the door right next to her head. She didn't even flinch though. She stared right at him, her eyes glistering with confidence. He observed her, his eyes wandering from her eyes to her mouth and to her chest. Her breathing picked up just like last night. He looked her in the eyes again and noticed the change in them. Yesterday he had seen only confusion in them, but today there was something else. Something that matched his sinful emotion.  
He tensed when he felt her hand press against his chest, the exact same spot as last night. However this time she grabbed onto the front of his jacket and tried to pull him closer to her. A burning sensation went through his body and the thoughts that clouded his mind disappeared. All he could see was her and the desperate need that sparkled in her piercing blue eyes.  
He leaned in even though a little voice in his head kept yelling at him that it was wrong. His lips pressed firmly against hers, and without hesitation she responded. He could feel that she took all her frustration out on him through their rough kiss. He pressed his body against her, pushing her against the door. Her left hand gripped his bicep the same way she had done last night, but this time her left hand travelled higher. She placed it on his shoulder and gripped it for support. He could actually feel her struggle to catch her breath, but he only deepened the kiss in response. Her nails dug into his right shoulder, and she bit into his lower lip. He slightly pulled back to give her some time to catch her breath.  
Her left hand that gripped his shoulder travelled higher, brushing over his neck where she felt his racing pulse to his cheek. She brushed her thumb slightly over his light stubble before she moved her fingers again, pressing her fingers against his lips. It was as if she didn't believe she had just kissed those lips.

She was breathing heavily as she spoke up, "You didn't answer my questions."

He bit back a smirk, "You need to head back to the dining hall." He spoke quietly, his lips moving against her fingers, "Nina." He whispered when he noticed she was still in her daze, "You need to head back."

She brushed her finger over the spot on his lower lip which she bit and licked her lips. She had been so angry, he had felt it in the kiss, but at the same time she wanted him.  
He grabbed onto her hips and spun them around so she was no longer leaning against his office door. The quick movement snapped her out of her daze.

He leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her lips, "Go." He said a bit louder and watched her turn on her heels.

He pressed his lips together to stop himself from chuckling when he noticed how confused she was. She barely made it to the end of the hallway without bumping into something.  
He unlocked his office and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind him. He had just devoured an initiate without even thinking twice about it. He pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming up. He had done exactly what he kept telling himself not to do because it was wrong.

* * *

Nina joined Lacey and Aaron for lunch, both of them threw her a sympathetic look. She knew they were feeling sorry for her because of what happened during knife throwing, she had forgotten all about the incident though. All she could think about was the kiss she shared with Eric. She brushed her fingers over her lips, they still tingled and she could still feel his lips against hers.

"Tomorrow the last test of stage one will start" Lacey said, breaking the awkward silence at the table, "The rankings will drastically change after the fights."

Nina snapped out of her thoughts, "I think Sara will be the first who gets cut." She grabbed a hamburger with her fork and placed it on her plate along with some veggies.

Aaron frowned, "I don't know, Nina, she seemed to like throwing knives at you. I think she has a cruel side to her."

Nina shrugged a shoulder, "Or she seriously hates me and enjoyed throwing those knives at me." She took a bite from her broccoli, "During the sparring she didn't seem to do well."

"She didn't do well because she didn't have the right motivation." Aaron pointed his fork at her, "If she does hate your guts, winning all her fights will definitely make you drop in your rankings."

Nina glanced at the table where the other transfers were seated. Katie and Sara were in a serious conversation. She observed the small Erudite girl. She had not noticed that Sara liked throwing those knives at her, but she was more focused on Eric during the event. Aaron did notice and she knew Aaron wouldn't lie to her. She had to watch her back from now on.

"You were gone for a long time." Aaron snapped her out of her thoughts, "Were you in the med unit all this time?"

Nina blinked, glancing down at her side, "The nurse patched me up pretty fast. I asked Four if I could get changed, and that took a lot longer than I expected."

She didn't want to tell Aaron or Lacey about her decision to confront Eric which led to a heavy make-out session in front of his office. That was her secret. She didn't know how Eric would behave after he had time to think it over. If he behaved like an asshole again, Aaron would definitely hate his guts. She didn't want her friends to get in trouble.

Lacey brushed her fingers over Nina's left side, "Does it hurt?" She actually sounded worried.

Nina smiled, shaking her head, "No, it doesn't. I just needed time to collect my thoughts which took longer than I expected."

She noticed how Lacey and Aaron shared a look, even though the two of them were not a couple, _yet_, they certainly behaved like one.

"You'd tell us if something was bothering you, right?" Lacey asked carefully, "We're your friends. We wouldn't judge you."

Nina nodded. She knew she could tell them and they'd keep her secret, but she did it to protect herself. She didn't like it when other people knew her fears. She did need time to collect her thoughts after the knife throwing because she had feared for her life. She just didn't want to share that with Lacey or Aaron.

Aaron glanced at his watch, "We need to leave if we want to make it on time for sparring."

Nina followed after Aaron and Lacey and watched them interact with each other. She felt a hint of jealousy wash through her when she noticed how good they looked together. They could actually touch each other without other people judging them. She knew that she could never behave like this together with Eric. She couldn't even picture him be somewhat affectionate toward someone.  
She stepped into the training room and stood beside Aaron, glancing at Four and Christina who were discussing something quietly.

"Listen up-" Christina stepped forward once everyone was present, "We're going to divide you in pairs so you can practice your attack and defend moves."

Sara got paired up with Aaron, probably because she was the weakest initiate and he was the strongest. Katie got paired up with Jake and Nina got paired up with Harvey.  
Nina followed Harvey to the mat and took her fighting stance. She raised an eyebrow when he hesitated for a second.

"What's wrong?"

He raised his hands and finally took a fighting stance, "Don't hurt me too much, okay? I heard the fights tomorrow could become very brutal."

Nina snorted, "I'm not that good, trust me. You could kick my ass."

He stepped forward, but she stayed where she was. Observing his movements closely, "I saw you fighting with Aaron, you were good."

Nina blocked his first punch which was aimed for her stomach and grabbed onto his wrist, twisting it around his back and pushing him to the mat. It was a reflex since it was the one move she kept practicing for nine months.

Harvey jumped to his feet, a serious look burned in his eyes, "You know how to defend yourself." A confident look glittered in his eyes, "I think your weakness is your attack moves."

Harvey was right, she needed to work on her attack moves, and he actually helped her. She wasn't that bad but she definitely took some beating. He never aimed for her left side which she was grateful for. The wound wasn't that bad, but she was certain it could have been worse if he punched her in the side.  
Lacey locked arms with her once training was over and walked with her to the dining hall. Lacey seemed in a good mood, which she couldn't understand because she was just so tired she wanted to head straight to bed.

"I want to ask you something." Lacey said in a quiet voice, glancing over her shoulder, "Do you think Katie and Aaron are just friends?"

Nina needed to press her lips together to make sure she wouldn't laugh at her friend. Love made people doubt themselves. Nina thought it was pretty clear that Lacey liked Aaron and Aaron liked Lacey back. Her friend however couldn't see it.

"They're definitely just friends." Nina ensured Lacey, "I think it's pretty clear Aaron has feelings for someone else."

Lacey pointed to herself, "Me?" She asked hopefully which made Nina like her friend even more, "We joked about it, but he never did or said anything to make me feel secure about it, you know."

Nina poked Lacey in her side when Aaron and Katie approached them. She nodded subtly toward Aaron and released Lacey so her friend could walk together with Aaron to the dining hall.

"When are they going to make it official?" Katie asked Nina sarcastically, "It's pretty obvious they are attracted to each other."

"I think both of them are waiting for the other one to make the first move." Nina said, observing her friends.

Katie glanced at Nina, "So who was the guy you made out with before lunch?"

Nina eyes almost popped out when Katie asked that. Lacey and Aaron had not noticed, but she should have known that Katie was much more observant. Katie was Erudite smart after all.

Nina gave Katie a look which said it all, "You can't tell anyone." She whispered, "He'd make my life a living hell here."

Katie assured her she wouldn't tell anyone. She thankfully didn't even bring it up anymore. They sat across Lacey and Aaron who seemed lost in their own little world. It gave Nina some time to clear her mind. She clenched her fist around her fork when she felt him enter the dining hall. Her body definitely recognized him and her heart kept pounding in her chest. She made sure not to look at him, but she could definitely feel his eyes on her.

"He looks a lot less scary than this morning." Katie whispered to her, "Whatever you did, you should keep doing it." She joked.

She shot a glance at the table where the leaders were seated and felt her cheeks burn up when she noticed all of them were looking over at their table. They were definitely talking about them. She couldn't tell if it was something serious or not because they all had their poker faces on.  
Nina jumped when she suddenly felt someone place an arm around her shoulder, and glanced at Brandon who took a seat next to her with a huge grin spread across his face.

"Let's hang out in the pit!" He suggested.

Nina could tell that the others quite like that idea, and she didn't want to spoil the fun again so she agreed to tag along.

Brandon smirked, "I'm surprised you haven't punched me yet."

She wanted to ask him why she would punch him, but then noticed his arm around her. She definitely forgot about that since she was focusing on something, or someone else.

"Do you want me to punch you?" She asked, pushing him away.

He just snickered in response. They all got up and followed after Brandon who led them to Lacey's friends, Zach and Emily. They headed to the pit together.  
The pit was crowded and a lot of people were drunk but they had a good time anyway. Brandon managed to get some black bottles from Dauntless members. Nina knew it was a bad idea to drink while carrying a dark secret, but she figured one sip wouldn't hurt. It didn't stay with one sip though, after her third bottle she felt a bit light headed, and the giggling didn't stop either. She felt Katie poke her right side and followed the brunette's gaze.

"Get a room!" She shouted, snickering when Aaron flipped her off but kept his lips pressed against Lacey's.

A lot of people around them started cheering, shouting for them to get a room as well. She loved the atmosphere in Dauntless, it was a lot more laidback than Candor.

"How long can they go without taking a breath?" Katie mumbled, sipping from her bottle.

Nina drank the last remains of her beer and placed her empty bottle with the rest, "I'm heading to the dorm." She mumbled to Katie who decided to tag along, "Don't even bother with them." She smiled when Lacey and Aaron were still attached to each other.

Nina stumbled along the hallways of Dauntless. Katie who was walking in front of her wasn't doing any better, but somehow she managed to enter the dorm first. Nina was about to enter the dorm when she felt someone grip her arm and spun her around, causing her to lose her balance. She grabbed onto the person's arms and looked up, grinning at Brandon who had a mocking look in his eyes.

"What the hell Brandon?"

He grinned in response, "You just suddenly left. Lacey asked me to check up on you. She was worried."

She raised an eyebrow at Brandon, "Aaron could have checked up on me-"

Brandon snorted, "Yeah, that's not happening any time soon."

Nina's eyes widened when she processed what Brandon was trying to say to her, "They're-"

"Yes."

"Doesn't Dauntless have any rules-"

Brandon laughed, clutching his stomach as if he heard the most hilarious thing, "Just one." He took a deep breath to calm himself, "Just to be safe."

She titled her head to the side and narrowed her eyes on him, "So when you were joking about sleeping with girls you don't like, you weren't joking?"

His lips curled up to a smirk, "Why are you asking?" He asked leaning forward, "Are you interested?"

Rolling her eyes, she pushed Brandon away from her with both hands, "I'm not!"

He rubbed his chest and walked to the dorm, holding the door open for her, "Alright, princess, head to bed. You're wasted."

"Am not!"

She walked past him, entering the dorm as silent as possible. Somehow she managed to walk down the stairs without tripping over her feet and found her bed. She glanced at Katie's bed and snorted when she saw her friend face down on her bed, already snoring away. She kicked off her boots, and tried to get comfortable in her bed.

* * *

"Your girlfriend already has a boyfriend, Eric." Peter took a swig from his beer, his eyes sparkling with mischief, "I saw them together."

Eric looked up from his tablet, placing his bottle down on the counter, "What are you talking about?"

Peter smirked, "Oh you know what I'm talking about." He took another sip, "I'd like to meet her." He chuckled when Eric threw him a glare, "Come on, man, she shot you. Dares to talk back at you. She sounds interesting."

Eric clutched his bottle tighter, his eyes focused on his tablet yet he didn't see anything, "Stop."

Peter raised an eyebrow at him, "Stop what?"

Eric met Peter's curious gaze, "Stop being interested in her." He took a sip from his beer, "She is just an initiate."

"So you're not interested?" Peter asked, swirling the liquid around in his bottle.

"I'm not interested."

Peter nodded, "Since I'm not her instructor and I'm not a Dauntless leader she is fair game to me." He grinned when Eric looked up, "Since you're not interested, I think I'll make my move."

Eric knew Peter was messing with him, so he didn't take the bait, "Go ahead. I've seen her turn down other initiates-"

Peter just grinned in response, "That makes her a challenge, I love it."

Eric clenched his fist, trying to control his emotions. He couldn't tell Peter not to mess with her because then he had to explain himself. He didn't even know what she was to him. He thought he had time to figure that out, but if Peter was going after her he might not have time to think about it.

"We already have one thing in common." Peter continued, "We're both from Candor."

Eric nodded. Peter had quite a reputation back there, and not in a good way. If Nina knew his reputation he was certain that she'd turn Peter down as well. He'd be just another guy she didn't want to waste her time on because initiation was more important to her. He knew as Peter's friend he should warn him but he also knew it would be hilarious to see Peter get turned down, harshly, by the big mouthed Candor girl.


	7. Playing Games

Thank you misty. and morbidly-funny for leaving a review.

**Chapter Seven – Playing Games**

* * *

Nina made a face when Aaron and Lacey were attached to each other during breakfast, right in front of her. Her friends were making her breakfast come back up, and by the looks of it Katie wasn't doing any better. Nina pretended to gag when she saw tongues. This was getting out of hand real fast.  
Brandon stalked toward their table and took the seat right next to her, his shoulder pressed against hers while he filled up his plate with tons of food. Usually she wouldn't allow Brandon to be so close to her, but he was a nice distraction this morning.

"How can you eat that much?" Katie asked confused, "We're fighting this morning."

Brandon grinned at her, "Don't worry Erudite I can handle it."

Nina looked at the brunette, "They are insane. Look at how excited he is just because we're fighting this morning." She clutched her cup of water in both hands and took a leisurely sip from it, "I'm not looking forward to it, at all."

Katie let out a long, tired sigh, "I'm not looking forward to it either. You're lucky, you won't be cut even if you lose most of your fights." Katie was using her Erudite logic this morning while most of their brains were too tired to function properly.

Brandon stuffed his mouth full with food, trying to eat as much as possible, "You guys are just with six so you'll finish before lunch break." Brandon pointed at the table where his friends were located, "We have ten initiates so our fights will take all day."

"How are they going to grade us?" Katie asked.

Brandon glanced at the leader's table, Katie following his gaze. Nina however refused to look at that table since she knew Four, Tris and Eric were seated there.

"Usually a Dauntless leader will oversee the fights and grade you together with the instructor. You guys have Four so your fights are going to be less brutal." Brandon frowned, "Eric will oversee our fights so we're basically screwed."

"He can't use a different set of rules than Four." Katie tried to reassure Brandon.

Nina remembered what Four told her when he gave her some private lessons before training started a few days ago.

"Four told me that the rules has changed this year." Nina explained to them, "He said that the fights will be less brutal than last year. New leadership, new rules and all."

"I'm so glad we're friends with you." Lacey interrupted, "You have a lot more inside information than us, which is weird since we're born here, yet somehow you always know more than us." She grabbed her cup of water and sipped from it.

Brandon's eyes glittered mischievously, "She played her cards right, Lace. She befriended the leaders before initiation started. We should have done that."

Nina gasped, glaring at him, "I did no such thing!"

Lacey smirked, "And you could never befriend them, loser. You always end up cleaning the compound up because you get yourself in trouble."

Aaron chuckled, "Sounds like you, Nina." She raised an eyebrow at Aaron who spoke up, "She was the troublemaker in Candor."

Nina snorted, "That's right, Jack kicked me out."

They quickly finished breakfast and headed to the training room. Four was circling the ring where the fights would take place and said something to Christina. Christina laughed, pushing Four playfully aside. Four and Christina were in a good mood this morning which could work in their advantage.

"They look way more excited about this than us." Katie whispered to her.

"This might be less boring than knife throwing and shooting a gun." Aaron muttered sarcastically.

Christina made her way to the chalk board which was next to the screen which held their rankings and started to write their names on the board.  
She felt her heart pound painfully in her chest when Christina wrote her name next to Aaron's. She was fighting Aaron first which would probably make her drop in the rankings since Aaron would kick her ass.

"There will be three rounds of fights today." Christina said stepping away from the chalkboard, "Both for the transfers and Dauntless born." She glanced at Four who seemed very pleased with that decision, "The fights will continue the day after tomorrow, giving you a day to rest."

"But the Dauntless born are with far more initiates, won't we finish our fights before them?" Katie asked in a clear voice.

Christina nodded, "The day after tomorrow you'll have your last fights as well for the Dauntless born. So you'll fight every single initiate in your class, but the Dauntless born will only fight an initiate who matches their skills."

Four stepped forward before Aaron could speak up, "You might think it's unfair that you'll have to fight everyone in your class while the Dauntless born won't have to do that." He eyed them all one by one, "But they only fight a fellow initiate who matches their skills which makes their fights more intense than yours."

Nina could imagine their fights becoming brutal and exhausting. Brandon mentioned it during breakfast but they just laughed it off. Now she was feeling sorry for them.  
She was certain all her Dauntless born friends had to fight each other because their skills matched. She was glad she wasn't in that class because they would have kicked her ass.

"No more questions?" Christina asked in a loud and clear voice, "Good!" She gestured to the ring, "First fight, Aaron and Nina."

They had to take off their boots and any other accessories before getting in the ring. Nina knew she'd lose this fight. Aaron had a lot more strength and was far more skilled than her.  
She took a fighting stance and tried to shrug off all the negative feelings. She would just try her hardest and if she lost she had two more battles today.

Four was standing across her from the ring, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face, "You may concede if you can't continue your fight."

Christina stood behind her, speaking up again, "But it will affect your ranking, initiates."

She observed Aaron closely and watched him take a deep breath, he was prepping for his first attack. She quickly stepped forward and aimed her first punch toward his right side. She managed to land a hit, but he seemed unaffected by it. He took advantage of that and aimed for her stomach, making her lose her breath. He kicked her in the knees making her lose her balance, and causing her to fall to her hands and knees. She looked at his feet and noticed that he came closer to her so she rolled away knowing he would have attacked her.  
She jumped to her feet again, and blocked a punch Aaron had aimed toward her jaw. She raised an eyebrow at him, never expecting him to aim for her face.

"Kick his ass, Nina!" Katie cheered.

She wanted to kick his ass, but his body was rock hard. It was like punching a brick wall.

"You can always concede." Aaron reminded her with a cocky grin.

She wanted to smack that grin off his face, and did aim for it. He blocked it effectively and hit her in her right side instead, she felt another hit to her left ribcage and fell backwards when Aaron did a low kick sweep. Her head hit the floor pretty hard and she momentarily saw nothing but blackness. She blinked her eyes a few times and heard Four's voice in a distance, but she couldn't decipher what he was saying.

Aaron grabbed her arm and pulled her up, "Sorry for that." He muttered, grabbing onto her shoulders and leaning forward, "Hey! Are you there?"

She blinked her eyes a few times, hearing a piercing sound in her ears before she finally saw Aaron.

"I'm fine." She smiled slightly at him and let him help her out of the ring.

Four circled Aaron's name on the chalkboard, making him the winner of the fight. Christina handed her a cloth filled with ice and gestured to her head, "I doubt you heard it so I'll repeat Four words- " She smirked, "Hold it against your head, or you might get an ugly bump on your head."

Nina held the icy cloth against the back of her head and stepped back, leaning against the wall and watching the second fight from a distance together with Aaron.  
It was Katie's turn and she'd be fighting Jake. Nina knew Katie would win because she'd use her Erudite brain and outsmart Jake who was ranked eight.

"Katie or Jake?" Aaron asked her.

She glanced at her friend who just kicked her ass, "Katie, definitely Katie."

Aaron nodded, "I agree." He never looked away from the fight, "She'll outsmart him."

Katie proved them right and won her fight against Jake. The third fight was Harvey against Sara and everyone knew who'd win that fight. The lovely Sara who threw a knife at her left side was ranked last, there was no way she'd win.  
Katie joined them and stood beside Nina, observing the back of her head to make sure there was no bump.

"You're an asshole Aaron." Katie mumbled as her fingers brushed against the sore spot on Nina's head, "Your next fight is after Aaron's before we have a lunch break." Katie eyed her, "Do you think you can continue?"

Nina nodded, "You're fighting Aaron after this one, make sure to stall." She smirked at Katie who laughed in response.

Christina helped Sara out of the ring together with Harvey who had won his fight. Four circled Harvey's name and called Aaron and Katie to the ring.  
Nina hoped Katie would kick Aaron's arrogant ass, but she knew that wouldn't happen. Katie was smart, really smart, but Aaron was just too strong. He was like their Brandon. There was no way anyone in their class could kick his ass.

"Smack his grin off his face!" Nina called to Katie who landed a few successful hits, causing Aaron to lose his balance.

She wondered if her cheering egged Aaron on because he quickly ended the fight by punching Katie in the jaw. Katie would have an ugly bruise on her face all thanks to their lovely friend. She shook her head when Four circled Aaron's name and handed her cloth to Katie.

"You can win this one." Aaron said in a low voice, "Aim for his throat. Four showed you that move, remember?"

She felt so stupid for not using that move against Aaron. Four did show her that move, but she had closed her eyes out of a reflex. She smirked and got a lot more confident for her second fight.  
She aimed for Harvey's throat and punched him hard in the stomach making him fall back. He was trying to catch his breath but she didn't give him time. She used Aaron's low sweep kick and won her first fight. She helped Harvey out of the ring and joined Aaron and Katie in their corner.

Aaron smirked, "You copied me."

She just shrugged a shoulder in response, "It seemed to be the most effective move to end my fight quickly."

The last fight before lunch surprised them all. Sara actually managed to win her fight against Jake. Nina assumed Sara would have been the initiate who would get cut after stage one, but now she wondered if Aaron had been right about that Erudite girl.

"Poor Jake lost all his fights so far." Katie muttered as they walked out of the training room.

They waited for Lacey and Brandon who both looked beat. Lacey was holding onto her right shoulder and groaned in pain when Aaron kissed her.

"I think Brandon dislocated my shoulder." She muttered, she huffed when Brandon said she was exaggerating, "Fine, but it still fucking hurts!"

Katie and Nina walked behind Aaron, Lacey and Brandon. They were busy discussing the fights so they didn't notice that Katie and Nina were observing them.

"I'm glad I'm not in the Dauntless born class." Katie sounded relieved, "They all look like crap." She pointed to a guy who had a nasty bruise on his jaw, "Aaron hit me in the face as well, but my bruise doesn't look like that."

Nina grimaced as she saw the guy's face. No one had punched her in the face just yet, and now she dreaded it. She had a feeling Sara wanted to punch her in the face, but she couldn't share that with Katie. Katie was her friend, and she did know her dark secret about Eric, but Katie was also friends with Sara. She would think Nina had lost her mind if she told her about her doubts about the petite Erudite girl.

* * *

Eric tuned out Peter and Tori who were discussing a new tattoo Peter wanted. That was until Peter charmingly managed to bring Nina up in the conversation. Eric tried to look uninterested as he focused on his tablet while occasionally taking a bite from his hamburger.

"I don't know her personally." Tori sighed, "Tris and Four do know her though."

Eric cursed under his breath when Peter caught him listening in on their conversation, "Eric says he isn't interested because she is just another initiate."

Tori snorted, "Not interested my ass." She mumbled causing Eric to glare at her, "I don't think you stand a chance with her though." She said glancing at Peter who raised an eyebrow at her. Eric had to bite back a chuckle when Tori refused to feed Peter's curiosity.

For once Eric was glad Tori finally knew when to shut up. She didn't give Peter hints or any useful information about Nina. He figured that Tori only did that because she was rooting for Nina and him. That wasn't going to happen any time soon though.  
Tris and Four made their way to their table. Tris did not seem happy with Peter's presence there which made the situation a lot more interesting.

"Don't you have patrols?" Four asked in a tight voice.

"My shift will start tonight." Peter answered coolly.

Tori tried to change the subject, probably catching the tension between Peter and the Stiffs, "How are the fights going so far?"

Four took a seat next to Peter and sat closely to Tris, effectively shielding her from him, "We had a few minor injuries, no major surprises in the fights so far."

Tori smirked, "How is our girl doing?"

Four glanced at Eric, "She hit her head pretty hard but still managed to win a fight."

Eric glanced at the table where Nina was seated with her friends. He could tell that she wasn't looking as bright as usual. The spark in her eyes was gone and he saw her grimace occasionally.

"Did she get checked in the med unit?" He asked, causing their table to fall silent, "A head injury is not something to take lightly."

A cocky grin spread across Tori's face, "Who is not interested?" She asked Peter quietly, but he still heard her. She turned to him and spoke in a teasing tone, "If you're that worried why don't you take her to the med unit?"

Four didn't seem to like that idea by the looks of it. His eyes hardened, "No, I'll do it. She is my responsibility."

Eric wondered if Four was still pissed at him for what happened during knife throwing yesterday. By the looks of it Four was indeed pissed, but he could be wrong. Four was always hard to read which was one of the reasons why he disliked the guy so much.

Tris interrupted their staring contest, "How are the Dauntless born doing, Eric?" She tried to keep her tone even, but he could tell by looking in her eyes that she backed up her boyfriend, no surprise there though.

"Decent fights on a quick pace. No surprises in the results though."

Tori nodded, "So we have a smooth running initiation this year?"

Eric figured this was the best year they had, "So far the initiates are getting along. There are no fights and they behave themselves." He narrowed his eyes on Four, "At least most of them behave properly."

Four and Tris ate their lunch in a haste manner, he noticed the silent communication between them and cursed when the Stiffs both got up and headed to Nina's table. Four really didn't trust him together with Nina anymore after the knife throwing, for a second he had wondered if Four knew about the kiss he had shared with her, but Four no longer worked in the control room so there was no way the Stiff could know about that.  
Harrison was another story, but he doubted that the old man was going to tell anyone what he might have seen.

"Four is shielding her from you." Tori remarked, "What have you done, Eric?"

"Nothing." He mumbled.

There was no way in hell he'd tell Tori about the knife throwing incident, not while Peter was present. He might be friends with Peter but he wouldn't help the jerk trying to get into Nina's pants.

* * *

Nina glanced up when she felt someone hovering behind her. She frowned when she noticed the surprised looks on both Lacey and Brandon's faces. She shot a quick glance at the leader's table, but Eric was still seated there so he wasn't the one who graced them with his presence. She slowly turned to look at whoever made their whole table fall silent and smiled brightly.

"Peter!" She jumped to her feet, "I forgot you chose Dauntless at your choosing ceremony." Her smile dropped when she noticed the mischief in his eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, hugging her tightly. They had never touched each other affectionately at Candor so his sudden urge to hug her made no sense to her. She blinked when he pulled back and even flashed her his charming grin. Something was wrong here, she could feel it.

"Your brother had been worried you'd be Dauntless." Peter folded his arms across his chest, "And look at you, you fit in here perfectly." He eyed her from head to toe, "No tattoos?"

She eyed him warily, "No, not yet."

That charming grin on his face never faded, "But you're thinking about it?"

She dropped her hands to her side and finally relaxed, she had been wary of Peter because he behaved out of character in her opinion, but she figured she just didn't know him well enough to know how he usually behaved.

"I'm thinking about it." She glanced at Lacey who for once wasn't attached to Aaron's lips to listen to her conversation with Peter, "If I make it through stage one I'll definitely get one."

"Oh you'll make it." Peter actually sounded so sure about that, which confused her even more, "Have you met Tori yet?" He asked, nodding toward the leader's table, "She is an amazing tattoo artist and she'd love to do yours."

Nina hadn't met the woman who Peter referred to as Tori yet. She had noticed that the woman glanced at her once or twice while she talked to Eric. The woman seemed interested in her, but she never figured out why. She assumed it was because of the rankings, but now that Peter mentioned her, she started to doubt that theory.

"Then you'll have to introduce me to her after stage one." Nina heard Aaron mentioned that their break was over, "It was nice seeing you again-"

He grabbed onto her arm when she wanted to walk away, stopping her effectively, "Tomorrow you have a day off why don't you spend it with me?"

She glanced at the hand Peter had wrapped around her arm, and slowly looked up meeting his hopeful gaze.

"I'd love that." She said, smiling when he released her.

She raised an eyebrow at Lacey who waited for her at the door, and walked together with her to the training room. She prepared herself for Lacey's inquisition.

Lacey locked arms with her, "You actually know a lot of important people here in Dauntless." She narrowed her eyes on Nina, "A lot of people will think the leaders favored you during your initiation."

Nina nodded, "I get that, but can they honestly say that after the stunt Eric pulled yesterday?"

She tried to shake off the feeling she got when she mentioned Eric. She hadn't spoken to him after their kiss, but she also knew it was better this way.  
The kiss had been intense and she definitely enjoyed it. She wondered if the last kiss he gave her was him saying goodbye to her. She hoped it wasn't because Eric was actually the first guy she kissed who actually made her enjoy it, and made her want to do it again and again.

Lacey pinched her right side, making her snap out of her thoughts, "You're acting weird lately, is there something I need to know?"

"I'm not acting weird." She muttered defensively, "Is there something _I_ need to know?" She asked Lacey who grinned in response.

"Are you asking me if I did it?" Lacey asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Brandon made it pretty clear that you were doing _it_-" Nina nodded to Aaron who was walking in front of them, "With him."

Lacey burst out in laughter, causing the other initiates to gaze at them with curious eyes. Nina rolled her eyes at her friend and pushed her in the direction of the Dauntless born once they entered the training room.  
Nina joined Katie and Aaron and glanced at the chalkboard which revealed the last fights of the day. She heard Jake who stood behind hear curse. She was paired up with him and so far he lost all his fights. It wasn't looking good for Jake, but Nina didn't know how the Dauntless born were doing so he might still make it.

Christina didn't waste any time and announced the first fight, "First fight…Aaron and Harvey." She didn't even look up when the guys made their way to the ring.

"They're both quite good." Katie commented, her eyes focused on the guys who started their fight, "What do you think?"

Nina tilted her head and observed the fight, "Aaron isn't focused, so Harvey might win this one."

Katie's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "You're right." She turned to look at Nina, "You sure you aren't Erudite?"

Nina frowned, "Eric is from Erudite-" She glanced at Katie who had a slight smirk on her face, "Did you know him from your old faction?"

Katie shook her head, "I can't remember, and I have a pretty good memory." She tapped to her temple, "But then again he might have changed his whole appearance. So we'll never know."

Nina glanced at Four, raising an eyebrow at him when she noticed he had been staring at her. Four's emotionless mask matched Eric's perfectly, but she could see right through him today.

"So first you piss off Eric and now Four?" Katie asked with a soft laugh, "You're dangerous."

"Four might know." She whispered.

"Second fight…Nina and Jake!" Christina called.

Nina looked at the ring and saw Aaron and Harvey shaking hands. Damn, she had missed the fight but she had been right all along. Four circled Harvey's name, causing Aaron to finally lose a fight.

"Someone had to kick his arrogant ass." Nina whispered to Katie who snickered in agreement.

Nina made her way to the ring and took a fighting stance. Jake looked actually intimidated by her. She wanted to tell him that he'd be okay, but she also needed to stay realistic. She wanted to make it into Dauntless and she wouldn't make it if she'd feel sorry for everyone.  
She blocked his first punch which was aimed for her jaw and kicked him in the knee, punching him right in the stomach swiftly. She winched when he punched her in her left side, and jumped back, pressing a hand against her wound.  
After he did that she just lost it. She glared at him and leaped forward, punching him in the throat with full force. She heard him gasp as he struggled to breath and punched him in his ribcage multiple times.

"That's enough." Four called, he didn't sound angry, but his look told her that he was serious.

Nina watched Four circle her name and turned to Jake who was still struggling to catch his breath. Christina stepped into the ring to help him and led him out of the training room, probably heading to the med unit.  
Nina walked out of the ring and joined her friends who looked quite amused by her. She raised an eyebrow at them and leaned against the wall next to Aaron.

"Last fight…Katie and Sara." Four announced.

Katie didn't look happy about this one, Sara was her friend after all. Katie slowly walked to the ring and glanced at the rankings. Nina feared that Katie was planning to do something stupid, why else would she observe the rankings with that calculating look in her eyes?

Aaron glanced at his watch, "This will be an easy one for Katie."

"It might be an easy fight." Nina knew her friend was going to mess it up though. She knew Katie well enough to know when her Erudite brain was working overtime.

Katie didn't even try to block Sara's first punch with she aimed toward Katie's already bruised jaw. Of course it would hurt. Sara looked as surprised as all the other transfers in the room.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Aaron whispered.

Nina sighed, "Letting her friend win so she won't get cut."

Aaron glanced at the rankings and focused back on the fight, "Is she stupid? It will affect her rank drastically."

"It's a calculative move to save her friend from becoming factionless." Nina smirked at Aaron who still didn't like the idea, "It's actually pretty smart."

"If she isn't careful _she'll_ end up factionless." Aaron muttered.

Nina grimaced when Sara punched Katie in the face, causing her nose to crack. Four circled Sara's name when Katie couldn't continue and told Sara to take Katie to the med unit. Nina narrowed her eyes on the petite Erudite girl.

"I don't trust her." She whispered to Aaron.

Aaron agreed with her, "She has a cruel side to her. Watch yourself when you're around her."

Four walked to the middle of the room and they all stepped a little closer, "The new rankings will be announced after dinner." He eyed them one by one, "Tomorrow you have a day off to rest, use it wisely because you'll need your strength for the final fights."

Four walked to her, "You sure you don't want to get your head checked?"

"I'm sure." She said firmly, "You and Tris can stop worrying."

He nodded, but didn't look pleased with her answer. She was just glad he didn't force her to go to the med unit. Her head was fine, the slight bump would probably be gone tomorrow.  
Four dismissed them for the rest of the day. They finished early so she decided to take a shower before dinner and freshen up. Her side actually hurt so she was certain Jake reopened her wound with his brutal punch. She pressed her hand to her side and jogged to the dorm. Everyone else were headed to the pit so she could take a shower without having to worry about privacy.

* * *

Eric watched the group of Dauntless born drag Nina and Aaron away from the dining hall. He knew they'd go to the Hancock building for some zip lining. It was another Dauntless tradition during initiation. He remembered that Four refused to go and by the looks of it he also bailed this time to oversee the initiates.

"Eric do you want to tag along?"

Eric raised an eyebrow at Four's little girlfriend, "You serious?"

She smirked, placing her hands in her pockets, "Nina is going, it's your chance to hang out with her without being the scary Dauntless leader."

He scowled at Tris, "I don't need to hang out with her."

She shrugged a shoulder, "Heard Peter has a date with her tomorrow so if you sit back and do nothing you'll lose her."

"Peter has a date with her?"

Four who sat across him dared to chuckle, "Stop acting like you're not interested." Four glanced at his girlfriend, "We all saw how worried you got when they acted all friendly during lunch."

Eric switched off his tablet and pocketed it, "She knows I'm interested."

The Stiffs had no idea what he was talking about, and he wouldn't indulge them. They'd probably use it against him if he told them about his momentarily loss of control.

Four and Tris shared a look before Tris spoke up, "We need to run, Eric."

He followed after the blonde who seemed a little too excited about this trip. She shouted at him to hurry up, and jogged a little to catch up with the initiate group. Eric sped up and caught the train right on time, causing everyone in the compartment to look up and step back. He was definitely the last person they expected to see. He didn't say anything and headed in Tris's direction. He stood beside her in the corner, observing the initiates and the Dauntless members who tagged along.

"At least you don't have to worry about him." Tris subtly nodded to Aaron who was pressing Lacey from the Dauntless born class against the wall and started to feel her up, "Don't we have rules about this?" She mumbled.

Eric bit his lip to refrain from laughing at Tris. Four hid his Abnegation traits well, and Tris did a pretty good job as well, but at times like these they always peeked through.

"We only have one rule about sex." Eric kept his voice low, "Did Four not tell you?"

He grinned when she looked away looking all embarrassed. He needed to remember that Tris would shut up whenever you brought that subject up.

"Are you two even a real couple?" He mumbled, shaking his head.

"Some things are meant to kept private!" She whispered.

Eric glanced at Nina, for him she was so easy to spot. He always saw her in the huge crowd and she always spotted him right away as well. It was like she knew when he was in the room, like she could feel him.  
He narrowed his eyes on her when he noticed how she bit her lower lip, he flickered his eyes from her lips to her piercing blue eyes and saw that familiar dark look in her eyes. She wanted him. He actually noticed from where he was standing that her breathing picked up. If she responded to him like this without him touching her he doubted Peter would stand a chance.

"Why can't you admit that you like her?" Tris asked.

He hated it but he had to tear his eyes away from Nina. He glanced at the smirking Stiff and turned his back to the initiates so he wouldn't get distracted by the girl who wanted to rip his clothes off.

"What I feel for her is much darker than whatever was going on between you and your instructor during your initiation."

Tris leaned back against the wall and observed his face for a minute, "You're fooling yourself if you think that you only want to sleep with her. If that was the case-" Tris's lips curled up to a smirk, "It wouldn't have bothered you that Aaron flirted with her during training and it definitely wouldn't have bothered you when Peter asked her on a date."

Eric clenched his jaw, "Maybe I don't like it when other people touch what I want."

"She is a person, not a possession, Eric." Tris reminded him sternly, "If you let yourself be loved she'd be good for you. She is the only person in this room who isn't afraid of you and dares to question you." Tris shrugged a shoulder, "Besides Four and I…You need that. You need someone who challenges you."

He knew she was right, that's why Nina was so different from all the other girls who had shown interest in him. She was a challenge and he'd never grow bored of her like how he grew bored of them.

Tris pushed herself away from the wall and walked past him, "We're here."

He turned around and waited for all the initiates and Dauntless members to jump off first. He and Tris jumped out last and followed the cheering crowd from a distance. Tonight they were allowed to celebrate outside the compound so he and Tris didn't want to spoil the fun for the Dauntless members or initiates by being their _'leaders'_. They would oversee the cheering group from a distance, pretending that they weren't even there.

"You think I can do that once?" Tris asked as she eyed the tall building.

He noticed the excitement in her eyes, "You only came because you want to zip line." Eric mumbled, shaking his head at the Stiff, "Just don't forget that you're a leader in training. Don't behave like an idiot."

Tris snorted, "Yeah, yeah, let's go already."

* * *

Nina brushed her hair out of her face, laughing when Lacey threw her arms around her and started cheering loudly. She had just gotten out of the harness and was still pretty shaky from the zip lining. That had been a thrill and it definitely made her forget about Eric and his complicated behavior.

"That was amazing!" Lacey cheered, pulling away from Nina to grab the bottle Uriah was holding, "To Dauntless!" She shouted taking a huge gulp from the black bottle.

Uriah threw her a stern look before he chuckled and snatched his bottle back, "You're lucky your sister is my friend otherwise I'd push you off the train."

Nina raised an eyebrow at Lacey, "You have a sister?!"

Lacey giggled, nodding her head, "She works at the fence though, so I don't see her that often.'

They walked back to the train, Lacey skipped ahead to walk with Aaron. Nina stalled a little because she could feel his presence behind her. She saw that Tris caught up with Uriah, so she was certain he was by himself behind her.  
She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes when she felt him stand behind her, he stepped a little closer and pressed his chest against her back. His heath wrapped around her, making her body tingle with excitement.  
His hands travelled over her thighs to her hips and gripped them so tightly she knew he'd probably bruise her. She could feel him lean in closer to her, her body trembling when she felt his hot breath against her neck.

"How is your head?"

Nina's eyes snapped open at hearing his question, "You know about that?"

He trailed his lips higher, "You didn't answer my question." He repeated her words but he sounded more demanding.

"I'm fine." She leaned back against his firm chest, placing her hands over his which were still gripping her hips, "Were you worried about me?"

She bit her lip when he suddenly stilled his lips against her skin and slightly pulled away. She shouldn't have said anything, but she couldn't help herself since her brain to mouth filter never worked.

"I was."

She gripped his hands tighter and closed her eyes again when she felt him kiss her behind her ear. He pulled away completely, leaving her cold and wanting.

"If we don't hurry up we'll miss the train." He walked past her, heading to the train tracks where her friends were probably waiting for her.

She wrapped her arms around herself to warm herself up and followed after Eric. He didn't look at her once when they jumped onto the train but she knew she had his attention, even if they weren't close enough to touch, she was on his mind. The thought made her smile.

"You're grinning like an idiot again." Lacey whispered to her, "I know that look."

"What look?" Nina asked, trying to sound surprised.

Lacey just rolled her eyes and leaned closer, "Please tell me that look isn't for Peter."

"Peter." Nina repeated, her eyes as wide as plates, "I'm meeting Peter tomorrow."

Lacey looked at her as if she lost her mind, "Why do you sound surprised? You agreed without hesitation."

She did, but now she doubted that decision. She and Eric were more or less playing a game, so she assumed he wouldn't mind her hanging out with Peter tomorrow. She hoped he didn't even know about it, because Peter was just an acquaintance and nothing more. He could never make her tremble with want just by looking at her. Peter was definitely no Eric.


	8. Nina's Promise

Thank you Vex, misty. , morbidly-funny, momo9411, PugLover2525 and rvg79 for leaving me a review. Love the feedback!

**Chapter Eight – Nina's Promise.**

* * *

Nina was leaning against her headboard, watching Katie do her make-up. It was hilarious to see her Erudite friend struggle since she usually excelled in everything.

"Want me to do it?" Nina asked after a minute.

Katie looked up from her mirror, glaring at Nina, "No, I'll manage."

Nina merely shrugged her shoulder at the struggling Brunette and glanced at her watch. She'd meet Peter in the pit in half an hour and since it was the day off the dorm was empty, everyone was hanging out in the pit.  
She knew Lacey and Aaron were on some sort of date, she didn't want to know more because her friends were usually glued to each other's lips.

"I'll see you later, Katie." Nina decided she'd go explore the Dauntless hallways before her _date_ with Peter.

Katie finally looked up from her mirror without a murderous intent in her eyes, "You sure you want to do this, Nina?" She asked curiously, "I mean you have this thing going on with _him_…"

Nina praised Katie for not using his name out loud while mentioning Eric. She didn't want the others to think she was sleeping with the Dauntless leader to pass initiation. A few of the initiates already disliked her so she didn't want to make more enemies.

"We're just going to hang out, this is not a date."

Katie raised an eyebrow at her, "It sure sounded like he asked you on a date."

Nina didn't question Katie, her friend was usually right about everything. Katie glanced back at her mirror and let out a cry of happiness.

"Finally!"

Smirking Nina watched her friend put away her make-up supplies, "All I know is that Peter doesn't give me the same feeling as _him_. So to me this is not a date and I'll make sure Peter knows that."

Katie titled her head to the side, "Don't you find it odd that out of nowhere Peter suddenly appeared and started showing interest in you?"

Nina actually thought the same thing, she had been wary of Peter because he suddenly behaved out of character.

"I thought the same thing." She folded her arms across her chest, "I'll find out what he wants from me on this _date_."

Katie hopped off her bed and followed Nina up the stairs and out of the dorm. Katie was meeting the other transfers in the pit. Nina wanted to ask Katie about Sara but she didn't know how to bring the petite Erudite girl up without making Katie think she was delusional.

Katie subtly nodded toward Peter who was waiting near the tattoo parlor, "If it doesn't work out with _him_…Peter is not so bad."

Nina shook her head at her friend and headed toward Peter who greeted her with his charming smile. He didn't catch her by surprise this time when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. She smiled and slightly pulled away, nodding to the tattoo parlor.

"So we're going to hang out here?"

Peter followed her gaze and placed his hand on her back, guiding her inside the parlor. He walked through the parlor, heading toward the back where a curtain separated the public area and the private area. He gestured for her to head inside first.

"Go right ahead." He encouraged her when she hesitated, "Tori is expecting us."

When he mentioned Tori she quickly stepped inside, meeting the gaze of the smirking woman who was sitting on the couch with a pad in hand.

"You're early!" She smiled at Peter, "But I'm glad you brought your friend." She looked back at Nina and gestured to the empty couch, "Come take a seat."

Nina took a seat across Tori and raised an eyebrow at Peter who took a seat next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulders while he leaned back against the couch, getting quite comfortable there. It looked like he had visited Tori a few times already because he felt right at home.

"Peter mentioned that you'd like to get a tattoo." Tori said, flipping through her pad while she searched for a particular drawing.

"Peter should have mentioned that I'd like to get a tattoo after stage one." She flashed Peter a stern look, "I'm not sure if I'm going to make it-"

"You'll make it." Peter and Tori said unison.

Nina frowned, leaning back against the couch which also made her lean more into Peter, "I'm glad you two are so sure about that, but I'm not."

Tori leaned forward, leaning her elbows on her knees while she observed Nina's face, "You know Four mentioned that you're insecure about yourself. You're ranked fifth right now and tomorrow will be the final fights…Even if you lose both fights you'll still make it to stage two." Tori leaned back against her seat and focused back on her drawing, "So what kind of tattoo did you have in mind?"

Nina narrowed her eyes on a drawing Tori passed and pointed to her pad, "I'd like that one, on my right side."

A grin spread across Tori's face while she flipped back to the Phoenix covered in red flames, "I like it." She gestured for Nina to get up and observed her body, "It will take a few hours though, I'm actually not allowed to say this but you'll have a day off on Monday because of visiting day. How about we'll schedule an appointment then?"

Nina glanced at Peter who nodded in encouragement, "That will look amazing on you."

Nina grinned in response, "Yeah? Too bad you won't get to see it-"

"Why not?"

Nina turned to look at him, her eyes shining playfully, "Because I'm not going to take my shirt off for you."

Tori snickered, shaking her head at Peter who pouted. Nina stayed with Tori and Peter at the tattoo parlor room for the rest of the afternoon, talking about initiation so far. She came to realize that Four had been right all along, initiation this year was definitely a lot less brutal.

"We're leaving Tori, I'm going to show Nina my favorite bar here."

Tori narrowed her eyes on Peter, "Don't take it too far, he'll kick your ass and you know we're not going to stop him."

Nina frowned when Peter placed his arm around her shoulders and walked with her through the pit toward his favorite bar, "Who was Tori talking about?"

Peter glanced down at her, she noticed that he flickered his eyes from her eyes to her lips. If Eric had done that she would have blushed and her whole body would have felt like it was burning up, yet when Peter did it she felt nothing. That was definitely a bad sign. Her body craved Eric's while it wasn't supposed to.

"A friend."

Nina wouldn't let him get away with it so easily though, "A friend?" She asked quietly when they entered the bar, "Is it Eric?" Her eyes widened in realization, "Are you doing this to piss him off?" She whispered.

Peter's grin widened, "You're actually very bright. Big mouthed and intelligent while looking like this." She blushed when Peter's eyes wandered over her body, "You're his type you know, your personality is what holds his interest."

Peter took a seat on a barstool ordering himself a drink and gestured to the empty stool next to him, "Come on, one drink, or are you afraid?"

She rolled her eyes at him and stalked toward him, taking a seat on the barstool. The bartender who had a few piercings in his ear handed her a black bottle with a huge grin plastered on his face. She could tell that Peter definitely knew this guy.

"You come here often?" She asked Peter, taking a sip from the bitter tasting liquid.

"A few nights a week just to relax." He swirled the liquid around in the bottle before he took a sip, "I usually meet up with Eric." He wiggled his eyebrows at Nina.

Nina clutched the bottle with both hands while she glanced at the marble black counter, "So you're actually friends?" She asked.

Peter nodded, "We actually sat right here when I told Eric I would go after you." Nina glanced at Peter who was being very Candor right now, "He did nothing, you know. I thought he'd punch me in the face and tell me to back off, but he didn't."

She actually felt her heart squeeze painfully when Peter said that. If Eric did nothing to stop Peter she could only assume that he wasn't serious about her. She raised the bottle to her lips and took a huge gulp, not caring that she had her last fights tomorrow. Tori told her she'd make it even if she lost her two fights so she wasn't worried.

"I think you need to slow down." Peter said trying to pry the bottle out of her hand, "It's not water, Nina."

She moved back so Peter couldn't reach her bottle and drank the last remains, placing the bottle back on the counter with more force than necessary.

"I'd like another one." She told the guy behind the bar who took away the empty bottle and replaced it, glancing at Peter for approval. Peter gave a slight nod, but he didn't seem happy about it.

"Be honest with me, Peter." Nina smiled when he gave her a mocking look, "If you're doing this to piss him off- " She swirled her finger over the rim of her bottle, "You know that he is actually interested in me, right?"

Peter grabbed onto her barstool and turned her so she looked at him, "I'm not doing this to piss him off." He chuckled when she gave him a look, "I think you're cool to hang out with and if that causes my friend to feel uncomfortable and irritated it's a plus."

She took a sip from her bottle, "Why are you two even friends?" She asked curiously.

Peter chuckled, "Sometimes we don't even know why." He leaned closer to her, his lips brushing against her ear, "Why are you even interested in him?" He asked in a low voice.

Nina felt him in the room before she even saw him. She pressed a hand against Peter's shoulder and pushed him away from her, rolling her eyes at him when he chuckled. He did that on purpose. He must have spotted Eric first and decided to taunt his friend even more.

"I hated him when I first met him-" She glanced over her shoulder and met the gaze of the tall Dauntless leader, "He is complicated, way more intelligent than he lets you believe, highly observant and he can make me tremble with just looking at me-" She smirked when Peter made a face, "He managed to turn my anger into lust-"

"He made an initiate throw knives at you." Peter interrupted her, "How can you still want him after that?"

"You know about that?" Nina asked confused.

"The initiates talk." Peter reminded her, "You're not the only initiate who is interested in the big, scary Dauntless leader by the way. I guess girls like the bad guys."

Nina smiled, placing the rim of her bottle against her lips, "Then there is still hope for you."

Peter ordered himself another drink, and glanced at her half empty bottle, "Eric is going to send you away since initiates are not supposed to be in here." He raised his bottle to her and grinned, "I liked hanging out with you and I bet Tori had a blast as well."

Nina drank the last remains from her bottle and placed it on the counter. Eric had been in the bar for already ten minutes so she was grateful he let her at least finish her drink before he'd kick her out.

"You're not supposed to be in here." He said when he approached them, he stood right behind her, engulfing her in his warmth and that fresh scent of his cologne.

She leaned backwards, biting back a smirk when she felt her back press against his chest, "I'm already leaving." She looked at Peter who seemed far too amused for her liking, "Thanks for the drinks." She wanted to hop off the barstool, but Eric placed his hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"I didn't say you should leave."

She slightly turned on her stool to look at him, "But you said that initiates are not supposed to be in here-"

"You're not supposed to-" He nodded, "But I'll allow it this once if Peter also buys me a drink."

Peter snorted, "You're a freakin' Dauntless leader, you're the one who is supposed to buy _us_ some drinks. You have far more points to spend."

Nina couldn't stop smiling because Peter made her feel as if she was part of their little group. She leaned back again, and tried to keep her face straight when she felt Eric place his hand subtly on her right hip. No one could actually see it, but him touching her in public like that gave her hope that maybe it wasn't just a silly game they were playing.

* * *

Eric watched Nina leave together with the other initiates and turned to Peter who was grinning like an idiot.

"I'd wipe that grin off your face if I were you." Eric warned him, "Taking an initiate to a bar is against the rules."

Peter didn't stop smiling though, "Yet you didn't kick her out. I find that very fascinating, the other visitors as well, of course."

Eric didn't pay any attention to the other people in the bar, but he could guess what they were thinking. Peter's annoying grin said it all.

"It's not against the rules-"

Peter chuckled, "No one is stopping you from going after her, Eric." Peter said in a clear tone, "You're the one who is holding back, because I'm sure everyone could tell that she's into you."

Nina did change her attitude toward him after the kiss they shared in front of his office. He guessed she finally admitted to her own feelings, unlike him. She actually showed far more courage than him, and she was just an initiate.

"That's right no one is stopping me." Eric narrowed his eyes on Peter, "So I'm telling you this once-" He stepped closer to Peter whose grin faded, "Back off."

Peter blinked before he dared to snicker, "Finally!" He patted Eric on the shoulder, "Was it really so hard to admit that?" He asked sarcastically and stepped back again when Eric threw him a glare, "Even if I'm interested in her she is only interested in you, so you have nothing to worry about."

It definitely made him feel better knowing she was clear about her feelings. This way he had no competition and he could take his time with figuring out how this was going to work. Stage one was not over yet, but he knew she'd make it. The problem was that he couldn't predict what would happen in stage two.

"I can almost hear you think." Peter sighed, "You think that you hide your Erudite traits well, but you overanalyze a lot."

Eric glanced in the direction the initiates went, "I can't believe I'm actually starting to relate to Four, that fucker had to have the same doubts about his girlfriend."

Peter frowned, "You're talking about initiation?"

Eric nodded, "The rankings can drastically change after stage one-" Eric glanced at Peter who looked like he bit on something sour, "You've seen that happen."

Peter glanced at his watch and nodded to Four and Tris who were walking their way, "I need to get some rest. Someone gave me a fucking morning shift." He eyed Eric who just stared back with a straight face.

He might have given Peter a morning shift knowing the jerk was going on a date with Nina. At that time he was not so sure about Nina's feelings so he did what he could to intervene. If they had been acting too close in the bar he would have definitely kicked her out, but she did the opposite thing and he just wanted it to last.  
Peter made his way through the crowd, heading to his apartment. Eric nodded at Four and Tris who reached him with knowing smiles on their faces.

"You two need to stop." Eric warned them before they could speak up.

"No, I don't think so." Four sounded way too amused for his liking, "You gave me a hard time for months."

"Stage one is almost over." Four's playful look faded, "She'll make it, but I'm not so sure about stage two." He narrowed his eyes on Four, "I won't be there during stage two so you need to keep an eye on her."

"This is the first time I've actually seen you care about something other than your leadership here at Dauntless." Tris didn't sound pleased about that, "You need to stop before you make me start liking you."

Eric snorted, "Don't sound too excited, Stiff."

"She is tough, Eric, what makes you think that she'll struggle during stage two?" Four's eyes glowed with curiosity.

"She acts more confident than she really is." Eric ignored the surprised looks Four and Tris had on their faces, "She has a lot of issues, so stage two will be tough on her."

They stayed quiet for a minute before Tris spoke up with a smile in her voice, "You see, an Erudite in Dauntless clothing."

Four didn't seem to understand what she was talking about, but he remembered the remark she made right before initiation started.

"I'm being rational." Eric folded his arms across his chest.

Tris leaned into Four's side who wrapped an arm around her waist, "I'll keep an eye on her." Four promised.

Zeke and Uriah joined them which was a bit too crowded for Eric's liking so he went back to his apartment instead.

* * *

Katie hopped onto Nina's bed, her eyes shining with curiosity, "I heard a rumor today." She wiggled her eyebrows at Nina, "I usually don't listen to them since they're always false, but this time I think it's actually true."

Nina sighed, "Just spit it out, Katie, what are you trying to say?"

"Were you having drinks with Eric at the bar?" Katie kept her voice low, but Nina could tell by glancing around the room that she received odd looks from the other transfers.

She snorted, "Peter invited me to have a drink at the bar." Nina didn't lower her voice because she didn't feel like she needed to hide this, "Eric joined us later because initiates are not allowed in that bar, he kicked me out after I finished my drink."

Katie frowned, "But you were in there for almost forty minutes."

"Were you actually watching me?" Nina asked confused, "I had a drink with Peter which Eric let me finish than he joined us and started to bicker with Peter. After that was over he kicked me out."

Katie nodded, "You know that I don't care about who you date or not, but some of the initiates think that you're sleeping with Eric to get a higher rank-"

Nina got up, ignoring Katie's warning and glanced around the room, "I'm not sleeping with Eric." She announced, "And even if I was that's really none of your business." She called out, "Eric is not the only one who decides which rank we get, or did you forget that Christina and Four are also part of the initiation?" She folded her arms across her chest and noticed how some of them had the decency to look embarrassed, "If you have a problem with this why don't you take it up with the leaders?"

The only one who didn't look embarrassed was Sara, there was actually a fire burning in her eyes when she stepped forward, "But we can't exactly do that, can we? You've them wrapped around your finger so even if we complained they wouldn't listen."

Nina now understood why Katie, her friend, started to doubt her. Sara must have filled her head with lies and manipulated her. Erudite were good at manipulating people. That's how the war started, Jeanine Matthews manipulated everyone around her.  
Instead of punching Sara in the face like she wanted to, she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the room ignoring Katie who called for her to stay and almost bumped into Aaron who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Nina-"

She just waved him off, "I'm not in the mood to talk!"

She slowed her pace when she neared the chasm and sat down, leaning against the railing while she tried to clear her mind. She knew she shouldn't have yelled at the transfers but it pissed her off that they apparently watched her and judged her. She cursed loudly, closing her eyes to calm herself down.

"You shouldn't be so close to the chasm, initiate, some people actually fell down."

Nina leaned away from the railing and glanced at Tori who had a worried look in her eyes, "The noise helps to clear my mind though."

She narrowed her eyes on Nina, "What's got you so worked up? You seemed to have a great time with Peter today." Tori's eyes hardened when she mentioned Peter, "Did he do anything? I swear to god if he-"

Nina snickered shaking her head, "No! Peter has been a great friend to me today." She sighed tiredly, "I'm just angry with the other initiates who think I'm sleeping with Eric to get a higher rank."

"They're picking on you?" Tori asked confused, "You don't seemed like the type of girl who would let them get away with that. "

Nina smirked, "Oh I set them straight, but I just didn't want to be around them right now." She started to play with the zipper of her jacket, "He wouldn't even consider pulling some strings to give an initiate a higher rank because he only wants the best to succeed. Why don't they get that?"

Tori smirked, "You figured out that he is only so tough on you guys because he wants the best initiates to pass?" Tori took a seat next to her and gazed at the streaming water, "We're Dauntless, we're protectors of this city. Dauntless defend those who can't defend themselves. We need to be tough."

Nina smiled at Tori who sounded so proud of her faction, "I wish they could see it that way."

Tori titled her head and glanced at Nina, "Fear of being cut from Dauntless is what makes people behave the way they do. You need to raise above it."

Nina looked away from Tori, playing with her zipper again, "The way I see it I have two options." She felt Tori's curious gaze on her face, but didn't look up, "Either I stay away from Eric to make the rumors die down or I just do whatever the hell I want and not care about what they say about me."

"Because you know it's not the truth?" Tori asked playfully, "So very Candor of you."

She shrugged a shoulder, "What do you think?"

Tori leaned back and stared at the ceiling, "It doesn't matter what I think, does it? If I said that you cannot see him anymore because it's an inappropriate relationship would you follow my order? Or would you go after your own happiness and tell me to fuck off?"

Nina pouted her lips, "I guess I'd do the latter." She muttered.

Tori placed her hand on Nina's shoulder and slightly squeezed it, "It's late. I'll tell you what-" She got to her feet and smirked at Nina who rose an eyebrow in question at her, "I'll let you crash at my apartment for this one night if you do me a favor."

Nina wrapped her arms around herself, eyeing Tori warily, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go after your own happiness and tell everyone to fuck off." Tori grinned, "Sounds like a fair deal right?"

Nina didn't want to go back to the dorm when she had made such a dramatic exit. She took Tori's offer and decided she'd crash at her place for tonight. Chasing her own happiness and not give a fuck what other people thought of her actually didn't sound like a bad deal. It was like Tori approved of whatever was going on between her and Eric and she actually tried to encourage it.

* * *

_Next Day_

Nina dashed through the narrow hallways of Dauntless, she had ten minutes before she had to go to the training room and could definitely use some food in her stomach. Damn, Tori enjoyed her little struggle this morning. She pushed through the heavy door and entered the dining hall. She ignored the transfer table and headed straight for Lacey and Aaron who both looked up from their breakfast when she sat across them.

"Where the hell have you been?" Aaron asked sounding concerned, "You ran off yesterday and didn't even come back. What happened?"

Lacey nodded, "We looked everywhere this morning."

Nina brushed her damp strands out of her face, "I met up with Tori last night and she offered me to crash at her place." She said with a shrug, "Katie questioned me about last night and then Sara was saying some crappy things, it pissed me off, so I bailed."

"That's not what Katie said." Aaron smirked, "I heard you actually chewed them out and then left in a rush. Dramatic exit and all."

Nina glared at her friend, "If you knew the answer already why bother to ask?"

"Because I'm from Candor, I'd like to hear everyone's side of the story before I make an assumption."

"Half of the Candor people forgot about that last night." Nina mumbled, stuffing her mouth full with a muffin.

Lacey grabbed her cup of water off the table and sipped from it, "It's not only the transfers who think that way about you." She shared a look with Aaron, "Some of the Dauntless born who are ranked lower than you transfers are also saying these crappy things about you."

Nina straightened her shoulders, "I don't care anymore." She emptied her glass of water in a rush, "We should probably head to the training room." Lacey and Aaron got up as well and walked together with her to the training room, "I'm not doing what everyone thinks I'm doing, but if I was, the leaders don't seem to have a problem with it."

Lacey grinned, locking arms with Nina, "That's why I liked you from the start." She glanced at Aaron, "Who cares what they think about you? Your real friends don't give a fuck about who you screw, as long as you're happy."

Nina snorted, "Thanks, Lace." Lacey winked at her and headed to the Dauntless born part of the training room, "You know where I was last night…Where were you?" Nina asked Aaron who grinned in response.

"Somewhere private."

Nina raised an eyebrow at him, "Are there even private areas here in Dauntless?"

Aaron walked with her to the other transfers, but they kept their distance, standing a few feet away from them.

"Lacey said that there are cameras everywhere here, conforming that the threat Eric made is actually real. We usually use her sister's apartment." He smirked at Nina who shook her head at him, "The apartments are the only places where there are no cameras."

"Wait you said there are cameras everywhere…" Nina blushed as she relived her kiss with Eric vividly, "Like everywhere?"

Aaron nodded, "That's what I said. If you did something naughty it was probably caught on camera."

She could hear the smile in his voice and punched his shoulder playfully. She glanced at the chalkboard and felt her heart pound faster. She was fighting Sara this morning. She shared a look with Aaron, and nodded. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"You can take her." Aaron whispered, "Don't hold back."

Christina stepped forward, "Alright initiates, this is the last day of stage one." She paced back and forth as she glanced at all of them, "After the two fights of this morning the leaders who oversee the training and the instructors will discuss the rankings of both the Dauntless born and transfers."

She stopped pacing and placed her hands in her pockets, "The rankings will be announced at the dining hall, whoever is ranked last will be leaving us today."

Nina glanced at the rankings so far. Tara from the Dauntless born class was ranked last right now. By the looks of it all the transfers would make it through stage one.

"Okay we'll start with the first fight of the day…" She stepped aside and gestured to the ring, "Nina and Sara!"

Nina made her way to the ring, her eyes focused on the petite Erudite girl. Sara's brown eyes were shining with hatred. Nina had to put her guard up because it looked like Sara would be using her anger to win this fight.  
Nina glanced at Four who dared to smirk in response. He just shook his head and glanced back at the rankings. She didn't understand what he tried to say with that, but she had no time to question him. In the corner of her eyes she noticed that Sara was launching toward her. She blocked her face quickly, luckily dodging a punch that was aimed for her nose. She knew she'd probably have a few bruises on her arms, but she was just glad Sara didn't break her nose.  
She clenched her jaw when she felt Sara hit her side. Raising her hands Nina used all her force and punched Sara in the stomach. She didn't falter and hit her in the jaw, causing the girl to step back and raise her hands to her face to defend herself. She looked like she was in pain, but tried to breathe through it. Sara was determined to win this fight, but Nina wouldn't let her. Not when the girl attacked her when she wasn't even paying attention.

"You can do this Nina!" She heard Aaron cheer.

Nina glanced at Katie and knew that her friend was worried for Sara. Katie didn't look sad or angry though so she assumed that Katie understood that this had to be done.  
Nina focused back on Sara, intent on ending this fight. She stayed where she was, waiting for Sara to make her first move. When Sara got tired of waiting she stepped forward, giving Nina the perfect opportunity to use the move Eric taught her. She grabbed onto Sara's wrist and spun her arm around her back quite forcefully. She knew if she used more strength she could have seriously injured Sara. She did a low sweep kick Aaron taught her causing Sara to fall back.  
Sara quickly struggled getting on her hands and knees, Nina knew that Sara wouldn't concede though so she had to take her out. She clenched her fist tightly and punched the girl against the side of her face, biting her lip when she heard her let out a painful groan.  
She stepped back, taking some distance from Sara and glanced at Four and Christina. Four shared a look with Christina and nodded. Christina headed to the chalkboard and circled Nina's name.

"Second fight, Aaron and Jake." Christina announced, walking to the ring to check on Sara.

Christina helped Sara up and walked out of the training room with her, probably to get an ice-pack for her face. Nina walked out of the ring and glanced at Aaron who smirked and patted her on the shoulder.

"I told you you'd win."

She smiled, "Good luck."

He grinned and jogged to the ring, taking a fighting stance. Nina walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall to observe Aaron's fight. Katie made her way to her and joined her.

"I'm sorry about last night, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Nina leaned her head back against the wall and inhaled deeply, "You knew about what was going on between us from the beginning. I've only ever told you about it, so it did hurt that you'd accuse me of something like that."

Katie shook her head, "No, you got it all wrong." She turned to look at Nina instead of observing the fight Aaron would win anyways, "I'd never think that you'd do something like that just to get a higher rank. I'm not stupid, I also know that Eric would never give someone a rank they don't deserve no matter what he feels for that person."

"You sure?" Nina asked quietly, "It sure sounded like you judged me yesterday."

"I'm sure." Katie's look softened, "I just wanted to warn you about the others." Her lips curled up to a smirk, "But the transfers got the message loud and clear last night."

Nina ran a hand through her hair which had dried now, "I kind of freaked out yesterday." She mumbled, "But I don't like it when people judge me without knowing the facts."

Nina heard Four call the third fight, and smiled at Katie, "We'll talk later."

Katie nodded, "Yes you still need to tell me about your date with Peter." She smiled and walked to the ring.

Katie won her fight against Harvey, which surprised them since Harvey was a good fighter. He shook hands with Katie before they cleared the ring for the fourth fight. Aaron was getting ready for his last fight, looking pretty excited. She knew why he was so excited, this fight would be easy for him. Sara was the weakest transfer amongst them so he could probably win this fight with one hand tied behind his back.  
Sara put the ice-pack aside and slowly made her way to the ring. She looked like she might bold, and the cruel part of Nina actually enjoyed that scared look on her face.

"So you're date with Peter?" Katie asked, holding a ice pack against her right shoulder.

"It wasn't an actual date." Nina laughed, "He introduced me to Tori whom I stayed with last night. I made an appointment for a tattoo and had drinks with Peter and Eric afterwards…which you know."

"You're getting a tattoo?"

Nina's face lit up, "Yes, tomorrow."

Aaron won his fight against Sara and actually knocked her out. Aaron never hurt anyone even though he was the strongest initiate in their class. Nina wondered if he had done it on purpose since Aaron apparently didn't like Sara that much. He had been wary of her since the beginning and Nina started to wonder if Aaron might know something about Sara which she didn't.

"I should check up on her." Katie murmured but Christina stopped her.

"You're fighting Nina next, you can visit your friend after your fight." Christina warned her before she left the training room supporting Sara together with Aaron.

Nina took a deep breath and made her way to the ring. Her first fight had been against Aaron who was a close friend and now her last fight was also against a close friend. This was the part of initiation which she hated.  
Katie could actually win this fight since she was strong and quite intelligent, if she used her Erudite brain she'd definitely kick Nina's ass.

"We don't have all day initiates." Christina warned them impatiently.

Nina won the fight, but barely. She would have a nasty bruise on her right shoulder and it actually hurt when she was taking a breath. At least Katie wasn't doing any better either. She helped her friend out of the ring and sat down with her in their usual spot.

"I think you broke my rib." Katie muttered, placing a hand against her chest, "Everything hurts."

"I'm sure you broke mine since breathing actually hurts."

Katie laughed, but then groaned cursing Nina for making her laugh. Christina announced that they were done for today when Harvey won his last fight from Jake. Aaron helped them both to their feet and placed a hand on Nina's shoulder, making her cry out in pain.

"Damn, you should visit the med unit."

"Yeah, I could definitely use some painkillers right now." She waved her friends off who headed to the dorm and walked to the med unit.

Nina pushed through the door of the med unit and met the eyes of the same nurse who patched up her wound when she got hit with a knife. The nurse gestured to an empty bed a few beds away from Sara and sat down on a chair with a bright smile upon her face.

"You look like crap." The woman said causing Nina to snort.

Nina hopped onto the bed, grimacing when she felt a shooting pain in her shoulder, "I feel even worse." She admitted to the woman, "I'm Nina by the way."

The woman smirked, "Tiffany." She gestured to Nina's shirt, "You'll have to take it off so I can take a look."

Nina glanced around the room, and sighed. There were a few other initiates present and she didn't feel comfortable with taking her shirt off, but she knew Tiffany couldn't treat her wound if she didn't show it to her first.

"Never would have thought you'd be a shy one." Tiffany sounded amused.

Taking a deep breath, Nina grabbed onto the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, placing it in front of her bra so she was a bit covered up while Tiffany observed her shoulder.

"It's just bruised." Tiffany whispered and got up, "I'll get you some painkillers. That bruise on your left side isn't healing yet, did you get hit again?"

Nina snorted, "It was my weak spot so the others took advantage of that."

"Thank god the fights are over then." Tiffany winked at her and roamed through a cabinet, she found what she was looking for and tossed Nina a small bottle, "You should take them before you head to bed because they'll knock you out."

Nina glanced at Sara who was unconscious on her bed. She didn't trust the Erudite girl, but it seemed that she'd be staying in the med unit today so she probably didn't have to watch her back in the dorm.  
Nina quickly placed her shirt back on, biting her lower lip when a sharp pain shot through her right arm. She hopped off the bed and thanked Tiffany for the painkillers. She walked out of the med unit and almost ran into Eric who placed both hands on her shoulders to steady her, but his touch made her whimper in pain and he slightly pulled back her shirt to glance at her shoulder.

"That doesn't look good."

She placed her hand against his stomach to push him back but he wouldn't move, "Don't get too comfortable." She said playfully, "Did I give you permission to pull back my shirt?"

He released her, "Tori told me about last night." He said, ignoring her teasing.

Nina saw him glancing down at her hand which was still pressed against his stomach and quickly pulled back, feeling her cheeks burning up. She actually had been feeling him up without even realizing it. She had just mocked him about getting too comfortable around her, yet she was the one who probably was way too comfortable around him.

"I might have overreacted." She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the small bottle of painkillers Tiffany had given her.

She looked him in the eyes when she felt his fingers tuck on her lower lip to stop her from biting it, "Take those painkillers and head to bed."

She frowned, "Tiffany said they'll knock me out so I'll miss dinner and the rankings if I take them now."

"You've been to the tattoo parlor, right?" He asked, narrowing his eyes on her when she nodded, "Good, Tori is working today, she'll watch over you while you rest." He pressed his finger against her lips when she wanted to protest, "She'll wake you when it's time for dinner. You'll need to be physically fit before stage two starts, trust me."

Her pulse raced when Eric brushed his fingers softly over her lips before he pulled away. He stepped back and gestured for her to move, "Go now."

She smirked and walked past him, making sure to sway her hips in the process since she knew he'd watch her leave. She came to realize that Eric liked to boss her around, but at the same time it seemed like he actually worried about her when she got hurt. He was so complicated but she guessed that was the part of him which attracted her to him. She sure loved a challenge.

* * *

Eric watched the initiates celebrate their victory in the pit, Tara the Dauntless born had left them a few minutes ago, which had not been pretty. He knew it was a tough initiation they had, but it was the only way to select the best soldiers to create a strong faction.

"I forgot to mention that your girl will be getting a tattoo tomorrow." Tori sipped from her black bottle and wiggled her eyebrows at him, "It will take a few hours so you can drop by after your visit to Candor."

Eric rolled his eyes at Tori, "She's not my girl." He corrected her.

Tori snorted, "Yet." She glanced at the initiates as well and smirked.

Eric clutched his bottle and narrowed his eyes on Tori, "Why are you pushing me to go after her? It doesn't benefit you in anyway, so what's the deal?"

"You're less of an asshole now that she's around." She held up a hand when Eric wanted to protest, "It's okay to let someone in, Eric, I know that you've been trained to shut off your emotions…But you don't have to do that anymore."

Eric knew that Tori was right, he had been trained to stop caring about others. He glanced at the girl who seemed to do a lot better after getting some rest. He narrowed his eyes on Brandon who had an arm wrapped around Nina's waist.  
He raised an eyebrow at Nina who met his gaze. She glanced down at the arm Brandon had wrapped around her and pushed him away from her.

Eric smirked and took a sip from his beer, "I might drop by tomorrow."

Tori playfully pushed him, grinning widely, "Good because this thing between you two is going so slow. Especially since I told her to go after own happiness. I thought she'd have made her move by now."

Eric frowned at Tori, "You what?"

Tori shrugged a shoulder, "Don't give me that look!" She warned him, "I told her she could crash at my place if she promised me to go after her own happiness-" Tori gestured to him, "Which is you. So I assumed she would have made a move on you or something."

Eric scowled at Tori, "Everyone should mind their own fucking business." He mumbled, shaking his head when Tori started to preach to him.

He tuned her out, and wondered why Nina hadn't done anything. He knew she wasn't that shy since she provoked him a few times. They already made out once so she knew that he wanted her. If Tori encouraged her to make a move on him he wanted to know why she didn't do anything yet.


	9. Her Enemy

Thank you momo9411, morbidly-funny, misty. , AndTheSnakesStartToSing and the anonymous reviewer for leaving me a review! Love the feedback.

**Chapter Nine – Her Enemy**

* * *

Nina chuckled when Katie teased Aaron for using the bathroom longer than the girls. Letting her eyes wander over Aaron's body she smirked when she noticed the changes. She observed his biceps, slowly trailing her eyes over his chest and toward his face. Aaron raised an eyebrow at her, folding his arms across his chest while his eyes glistered amusingly.

"Did you just check me out?"

Nina tied the laces of her combat boots, "I did." She admitted without hesitation, "You've changed."

He stepped closer to her bed and took a seat next to her, "You've changed as well." He shot back, "Your personality is the same, but there is something different about you."

She opened her mouth to question him, but stopped herself when Eric and Four suddenly stepped inside the room. Everyone fell silent and watched the Dauntless leaders who stood by the railing observing them with serious gazes.

"Today is visiting day." Four grabbed onto the railing, "Your families will arrive after breakfast, but we do have some ground rules-" He eyed them one by one before he continued, "No wandering the compound without the permission of a Dauntless leader and you're also not allowed to leave the compound-"

Eric stepped forward, "And we take the phrase faction before blood seriously here. Don't get too attached, Dauntless is your family now."

Nina remembered that Eric told her the exact same thing when she accompanied him to Candor. After their little speech both Eric and Four left the dorm again, but the silence remained. She guessed that a lot of the transfers were processing what Eric and Four just told them.

"What does that even mean?" Aaron asked, "Don't get too attached? If they're against it they should just cancel visiting day."

"If they could cancel it they would have done it." Nina didn't doubt that for a second, "But it's part of the city's tradition so they have to honor it."

Katie hopped onto Nina's bed as well and placed an arm around her shoulders, "There were no smoldering looks between the two of you today." She said in a low tone so only Aaron and Nina heard her.

Nina playfully pushed Katie away from her, "I have no idea what you're talking about." She muttered, though she knew exactly what Katie meant by that, "If you're quite finished I'd love to get some food in my stomach right now."

Aaron and Katie kept the teasing looks in their eyes, but they both remained quiet while they walked to the dining hall. Nina was excited, she'd see William again. She didn't care about the phrase faction before blood. William was still important to her.

"Slow down, Nina, you're going to choke on something if you keep that up." Katie warned her with a serious look in her eyes, "What's the rush?"

Nina grabbed her cup of water and took a sip, "It's visiting day!" She exclaimed, "Aren't you guys excited?"

Aaron and Katie shared a look, "Not particularly." Katie admitted to her.

Nina noticed the underlying sadness in Katie's words, she didn't question her friend, but placed her hand on top of hers, "You should meet my brother, he is as serious as Four, but I love him anyways."

Aaron nodded, "Yes, but even Four knows when to let go. I've seen him behave differently in the pit when he is not being our instructor or a Dauntless leader."

Nina started to pull her muffin apart and ate it a bit slower since she knew Katie would scold her again, "The point is that my brother might seem uptight, but I love him anyways."

Aaron's gaze softened, "Because he took care of you…"

Nina nodded, "Yes." She pushed her plate aside, "I had a very hard time after the choosing ceremony. I knew Candor was not in my heart, but William is, and I didn't want to leave him."

"I can understand that." Katie said, shocking all of them, "It's hard to let go of something familiar." Katie shrugged, "You know you'd make it in Candor, choosing Dauntless was a risk and you wouldn't know if it was worth it to leave behind someone you love."

"But you do belong here." Aaron pointed out, "Look at the rankings, your fifth, Nina. That's a good thing."

"We haven't started stage two yet." Nina reminded them, "Eric told me we would need to be physically fit for whatever is happening during stage two."

"I love it that he shares inside information with you." Katie smirked, "So I'll head to bed early today then."

Lacey hopped onto the seat next to Aaron, kissing him full on the lips before she greeted everyone else with a huge grin plastered on her face. Someone seemed very excited this morning.

"My sister is coming back from her shift." Lacey informed them with that wide grin on her face, "I haven't seen her in a week and I really want you guys to meet her."

"We have visiting day, Lace." Aaron reminded her, "When is your sister coming back exactly?"

"She'll be here during your visiting hours, I'll drop by with her." Lacey stole a piece of Aaron's muffin who rolled his eyes at her, "Hanna was in Four and Eric's class, of course she didn't excel like them…"

Katie narrowed her eyes on Lacey, "Lace, she didn't get cut that's huge. I'd be pleased with just getting through initiation, and take any job they'd give me."

Lacey pouted her lips, "Yeah, but fence duty seems so boring to me. Also working a week at the fence and being back at the compound for only a few days doesn't seem appealing to me either."

Nina glanced at the hand that suddenly rested upon her shoulder. She looked up meeting Katie's gaze ad saw the amused glistering in her eyes. She knew it wasn't Eric so it could only be Peter.

"Don't you have patrols?" Nina asked, turning around to face Peter.

"I'm working another nightshift thanks to Eric." He muttered, "You excited about visiting day?"

"I am." Nina scooted up to make some room for Peter, ignoring the surprised looks of her friends when Peter joined them at their table, "So what did you do to piss him off again?"

Peter snorted, "I don't even know." He shrugged a shoulder and focused on his breakfast instead, "When are you getting your tattoo?"

"After visiting hours." Nina smiled, "Tori said it will take a few hours so I'll be probably done before dinner. "

"I'll be gone before dinner." He narrowed his eyes on Nina, "You think he has planned it that way? I sometimes forget that he does have an Erudite brain."

Nina winked at Katie who couldn't hold her laughter in, "I never forget." Nina admitted to Peter who lifted an eyebrow at her, "It's hard to explain but I can always see the Erudite in him."

Peter stole a piece of muffin from her plate and grinned, "So I heard you two have basically everyone's blessing, so why are you not sitting there." Peter nodded to the leader's table, "You're not the type of girl who gives a crap about what people think of her so-"

"I'm having breakfast with my friends." Nina interrupted Peter, "And I doubt Eric would appreciate it if I just waltzed up to his table."

Peter just wiggled his eyebrows at Nina in response. He actually made her friends like him, which was new since he usually had the opposite effect on people.  
After breakfast she walked together with Katie and Aaron to the pit. A few Dauntless members were patrolling the area, making sure it stayed safe. Slowly the pit started to fill with family members of all the transfers, the Dauntless members keeping an eye on the visitors.  
Aaron was the first to join his family, she blinked when she realized that Aaron's mom was the lady at the administration desk where she and Eric played their usual game. The lady who quickly dashed away with the excuse of getting coffee, she remembered it vividly. By the looks of it the woman also recognized her, and flashed her a small, tight smile.

"I see my parents, catch you later." Katie whispered, jogging to her family.

Nina smiled when she saw her brother in his usual black and white clothing. He towered over most people with is height, and his piercing blue eyes caught everyone's attention. She couldn't help herself and ran into his arms, holding tightly onto him.

"What happened to my big mouthed sister?" William asked playfully, "Though the hugging is much nicer than your usual snarky comments."

She only hugged him tighter in response and smiled when she heard his chuckle. William was in a good mood today and she liked it. Her brother kept his promise to her, she did everything she could not to let the tears fall because she didn't want to look weak.  
William slightly pulled away and cupped her face in his big hands, for a minute he made her feel like a little girl again. The little girl who relied on her brother for everything.

"How is initiation going?" He asked with a serious look in his eyes, he titled her face to the side, "Is that a bruise?"

She placed her hands on William's wrists and slightly squeezed his wrists in reassurance, "I'm fine, William, the physical stage is over." She smiled when he lowered his hands, but didn't pull away from her, "So I guess the hard part is over."

William didn't seem to agree with her, "Don't think so." He said quietly, "Dauntless has a crazy initiation process, Nina, it will only get worse."

She didn't question his knowledge about Dauntless. Eric has been reporting to Candor every single day, and still needed to report back to Candor for the next three months. They probably knew every single detail of what was going on at Dauntless right now. Since William worked closely with Jack, like Tris did with the other leaders, he was aware of a lot of private matters that were going on at Dauntless.

She pulled away from William and folded her arms across her chest, "So what have you been doing aside from boring Candor stuff?"

William's eyes gleamed playfully, "Are you asking me if I have been dating someone?"

Nina titled her head to the side, "That's exactly what I'm asking you." She said without blinking once, "You know I'm a bad liar, William." She reminded him.

William sighed, "I know, you always say what comes to mind, which always gets you in trouble." He ignored her question and actually changed the subject, "Did you get into trouble here? You told me your last visit to Candor was punishment for something you had done."

She wouldn't let William get away with changing the subject though, "I'm learning how to live my life here at Dauntless." She narrowed her eyes on her brother, "Why are you avoiding my question, William? Did something happen?"

"So I assume you made some friends." William continued without even trying to answer her questions, because she knew he didn't want to lie to her so he just refused to answer her questions, "I'm glad you're finding your place here at Dauntless. I was worried about you, Nina."

Her gaze softened, "Why?" She asked quietly, "You saw me a few days ago, I was fine then." She reminded him.

"I also noticed that you and Eric were familiar with each other." He narrowed his eyes on her, "So I assume you're learning not to piss him off anymore?"

She didn't know what to tell her brother about Eric, because there wasn't anything to tell. She was definitely attracted to Eric, but that was not something you wanted to tell your brother. She now understood why William didn't want to answer her questions. She guessed her brother found a woman he was attracted to, but wasn't in a serious relationship with. Telling your baby sister about that, was probably really awkward.

"Something like that." She muttered.

She jumped when she suddenly felt someone wrap their arm around her waist and glanced at Lacey who was grinning widely at William.

"Nice to meet you, Nina's brother." She pointed to the short blonde haired girl next to her, "I just wanted to introduce Nina to my sister, Hanna." She gestured to the girl, "Hanna meet Nina, the leaders' favorite initiate. Nina meet Hanna, my generous older sister who lent me her apartment-"

"Stop sucking up." Hanna chuckled and nodded at Nina, "Nice to meet you, favorite initiate…What does that mean?"

Nina pinched Lacey's side, ignoring her friend's loud curse, "Lacey is being annoying."

"It means that all the leaders like her." Lacey said rubbing her side, "Eric gives her inside information which Nina shares with me since I'm her best friend-"

"Ex best-friend." Nina muttered, "Lacey is really exaggerating, he doesn't share anything with me. It was twice that he spoke without realizing he was sharing information with me. First time was by accident because he was rushing to get back from Candor and the second time he was just worried because I almost dislocated my shoulder-"

"You were seriously injured?" William asked.

"Now I'm exaggerating." Nina sighed, "I'm fine, William, trust me."

She could feel his eyes on her, he was probably trying to see if she was lying. She wasn't a good liar though, so she knew William would settle for her being okay now.

"Eric isn't usually the type who shares." Hanna seemed to ponder over the information she just received, "I was in their class you know, Four and Eric's…They were quite the same actually, only Eric changed after receiving his leadership training."

"They're getting along these days." Lacey sounded unsure about that, "Everyone always felt the tension between them, but that has changed Hanna-"

"They have to get along if they want to run a faction together." William interrupted their conversation, "I need to head back, Nina." He didn't sound too pleased about that, "I have a lot of things to prepare for the initiation back at Candor."

Nina pulled away from Lacey and wrapped her arms around her brother, holding tightly onto him, "I'm glad you stopped by, William, I love you." She whispered the last part, so only he heard her.

He tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head, "Love you too." He whispered and quickly pulled away, "Don't cause trouble." He warned her.

* * *

Eric glanced at his watch as he made his way to the tattoo parlor. There were a few minutes left before dinner, so he hoped he made it in time for Tori's appointment of the day. He walked through the tattoo parlor and made his way to the back where she was standing in front of the mirror while Tori was wrapping up the tattoo. She noticed him the minute he walked into the room. He could tell by the way her whole body tensed. She glanced in the mirror and met his gaze, a small smile tugging on her lips.

"How did it go?" Tori asked absentmindedly, "You're good to go, don't take the bandage off for the next 24 hours." She said sternly.

"That's a big one." Eric saw the red color peeking through the bandage, "I guess I'm too late to hold your hand."

"I managed perfectly fine, Eric." She sounded amused though which made him smirk, "But I guess I'd need some help with the lotion."

His eyes gleamed knowingly.

"The meeting went fine." He told Tori, remembering her absentmindedly question, "How did visiting day go?" He asked Nina, when she lowered her shirt again and took the lotion from Tori.

Nina thanked Tori and walked with him out of the shop, both ignoring the huge grin that was plastered on Tori's face.

"It made me miss William even more." She sighed tiredly, "Lacey's sister came by and if I get a job at the fence I'll probably never see him again, so that was tough-"

"You're ranked fifth, you won't get a fence job."

Even if she did get a lower rank, he wouldn't let her get a fence job. It was a selfish decision really, he couldn't stand seeing her only a few hours a week. He knew the other leaders would back him up on this.

"There are two stages to go, Eric!" She sounded irritated, "I might mess up and end up being cut."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, being careful with her wounded shoulder, "Calm down, Nina." He told her firmly, "You need to remind yourself that if you stay calm, you'll make it through the next two stage."

He knew he shouldn't give her any hints and let her know what stage two and three were about, but he couldn't see her freaking out like that. He carefully released her and frowned when he felt her tugging on his sleeve.

"I wanted you to hold my hand." She admitted quietly, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Yeah?" He glanced at the small hand which was still grabbing onto his right sleeve of his military jacket, "Why haven't you done anything about it then?" He asked her curiously and noticed the dark shift in her eyes.

She slowly trailed her hand down and trailed her fingers over his hand, "Maybe I was waiting for you."

He squeezed her hand softly, and reminded himself that he was in the pit with her, so he couldn't do what he actually wanted to do. There were too many people around. He slightly pulled away from her and saw that she also snapped out of her daze.

"Since I couldn't be there when you were getting your tattoo, we should have dinner together."

She bit her lip, her eyes wandering around the pit before she met his gaze again, "Should we do that? I feel like we're the center of attention of everyone here."

He gazed at her for a minute before he decided he'd show her how he felt about that. He grabbed onto her hand and laced their fingers together, not caring about her shocked expression or what everyone else would be thinking.

"Let's go, we're having dinner together." He walked to the dining hall, biting back a smirk when she tried to keep up with him, tightening her hold on his hand.

He always knew that when he entered a room, the room fell silent and people stared at him with fear, but this time the reaction was quite different. He could actually feel their confusion when he walked into the room, holding a girl's hand tightly in his. He didn't pull back nor did he slow his pace down. He headed straight for his table and gestured for Nina to take a seat first.  
Four and Tris both looked up when they took a seat across the couple. He was grateful that they both didn't comment on it, they did however looked amused and surprised at the same time.

"Everything is set up for tomorrow." Four was trying to make a casual conversation, "You sure you can't stop by?"

Eric tried to keep his face impassive when he felt Nina's hand resting upon his thigh, "I thought you'd be happy I'm not joining you tomorrow." He glanced at the little vixen next to him and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm thrilled." Four's eyes gleamed amusingly.

"How did visiting day go, Nina?" Tris asked, changing the subject.

"It was good to see my brother again." Nina answered, giving Eric's knee a light squeeze, "But he had to run because of initiation back at Candor."

Eric gripped his fork tightly, when he felt her trail her hand on his thigh again, going a lot higher this time. He threw her a warning glance, but only received an innocent smile back. She knew exactly what she was doing, and was enjoying every second of it.

"Two can play that game, you sure you want to keep that up?" He asked her casually, making sure to keep his tone light though his eyes were gleaming with mischief.

She pressed her lips together, realization flashing through her blue eyes. He tried not to respond but he couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his face.  
After his warning she ate her dinner without trying to tease him again. Four and Tris were having a great time watching them interact.  
Nina glanced at her friends when the blonde Dauntless born girl called for her. She mouthed something back to the girl before she glanced at Eric.

He felt his heart race when she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, "Maybe next time you can do more than just hold my hand." She whispered in his ear before she got up, greeted Four and Tris goodnight and left the dining hall together with her friends.

Eric was just stunned that she suddenly kissed him, even if it wasn't on the lips, she did kiss him in public. That clearly made a statement.

"So are you two dating now?" Tris asked curiously.

Eric straightened his jacket and returned his face to its usual emotionless mask, "For a Stiff you're always so curious. You sure you aren't the Erudite here?"

Tris frowned, "I do have an aptitude for Erudite." She confessed, "But you already knew that."

He sighed, not in the mood to bring up his past. He knew he made some mistakes, he was just bright enough not to follow through with an inconsistent plan. He was glad he made the decision to turn his back on Jeanine and Max, because his life definitely got a lot interesting now.

"I don't know what the hell we're doing."

Four sipped from his water, "You don't like her hanging out with other guys, you do like spending time with her and you somewhat include her in your life…Isn't that called dating?"

Eric furrowed his brows, "I'm certain it doesn't work that way. I've spend time with other girls before without actually dating them-"

Tris made a face, and stabbed her hamburger quite violently, "Don't need to know what you did behind closed doors with other…girls." He found it amusing that she still seemed so embarrassed about that subject, "Just face it, Eric, you're dating her."

He snorted, "I'm glad you two decided that for me." He said sarcastically.

Four shrugged a shoulder, "That's what friends are for right?" His eyes twinkling amusingly.

Now it was Eric's turn to make a face, "Never imagined that I'd become friends with the Stiffs."

Tris glanced at the table where Nina usually sat with her friends, "They all left. They're up to something."

Eric wasn't worried though, he had a pretty good feeling of what was going on. Nina mentioned Hanna before and he knew Hanna liked to party.

"I'm sure they're having a party at Hanna's place." Eric reached into his inner pocket of his jacket and grabbed onto his small tablet, "She's around for a few days."

"They'll regret it in the morning." Four didn't sound worried either, "A hangover and facing your worst fears are definitely not a good combination."

Eric glanced at Four, "You remember your promise, right?"

"Don't worry, Eric, I'll keep an eye on your girlfriend."

Eric didn't even bother to correct him anymore, he knew that with his behavior of today no one would believe him if he said she wasn't his girlfriend. The thing that surprised him the most was that he didn't mind people calling her that.

* * *

_Next day_

Nina glanced around the room, they were called in by Christina, Four and Lauren one by one, and the people who got out of the room looked lifeless, anxious and some just terrified. It got the remaining initiates nervous.  
There will still three people left, she was one of them. Katie squeezed her hand when Christina called Katie's name, and waited for her to enter the room. Katie glanced over her shoulder, meeting Nina's gaze before she walked past Christina, entering the room.  
Nina bit her lip nervously and started to tap her foot impatiently on the floor. Now she and Emily, from the Dauntless born initiates, were the only ones left.

"Nina."

Nina felt relieved that Four was the one who called her over. He was a familiar face, someone she felt safe with, so she figured she could deal with whatever the hell was waiting for her in that room.  
Four held the door open for her, closing the door firmly behind him when she entered the room. She flickered her eyes from the computer in the corner of the room to the chair which was located in the middle of the room.

"Take a seat." Four said when she hesitated by the door, "Stage two is facing your fears-" He glanced over his shoulder when she still hadn't moved, "It's almost similar to what you've been through while you took your aptitude test, only this isn't programmed. You'll be facing your worst fears to test how well you deal with it."

Nina took a seat on the reclining metal chair and tried to get comfortable, "What does that mean?"

Four started typing a few things into the computer, "It's to test if you can calm yourself enough and get through the simulation, you'll be doing this for the rest of the week-" He looked up from the computer screen, "Don't worry the first time is always the toughest, it will get easier after this."

"What if I can't get through my fear?"

Four opened a black case and took out a syringe which made her frown, "This will allow me to observe you while you face your fears-" He moved closer to her chair and brushed her hair away from her neck, "I'll end the simulation if it harms your health, if not, you'll just have to endure it till you can end it yourself."

She nodded, "I'm ready."

He smirked, "I doubt it." He murmured, before he pushed the needle into her neck, "Remember to stay calm and control your emotions." He pulled away and placed the syringe back in the case, facing the computer, "Be brave."

She felt herself drifting off, the room slowly turning pitch black. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened them again.  
_She glanced around, feeling a shiver go down her spine when she noticed she was no longer in the simulation room but in Candor's headquarters.  
She spun around when she heard a familiar voice, William. A smile spread across her face when she saw him, but it quickly faded when faceless Dauntless soldiers burst through the room, heavy guns in their hands while they started to approach her brother. _

"_William!" _

_She wanted to run to him but one of the soldiers grabbed her by her arm, stopping her. She wanted to break free by kicking him, but William told her to stay where she was._

"_It's okay!" He called, he didn't look scared at all._

_He held his hands up while one of the soldiers ordered him to kneel. William smiled at her, following the orders of the faceless soldier. She felt her heart squeeze painfully when the solider pressed his gun against William's temple._

"_Divergents are a threat to our system-" Her eyes widened when she recognized that deep, rough voice, "Did you really believe we'd call off this mission to hold hands with other factions and pretend they don't even exists?"_

"_Eric?"_

_She harshly pulled away from the soldier who had stopped her and stepped closer to the man who turned around and faced her, his eyes not holding the usual warmth she was familiar with. _

"_A good Dauntless soldier always follow orders-" He closed the space between them and handed her the gun he was holding, "You know what to do."_

_It felt like someone threw a bucket of ice cold water over her as she stared at the gun. She knew exactly what he wanted her to do. She just couldn't make her body move, she was frozen to the spot, fear rushing through her veins._

"_I don't have all day!" Eric reminded her, his rough voice vibrating through her body._

_She slowly looked up, meeting his expressionless eyes and remembered that it wasn't real. She knew Eric, he wouldn't look at her like she meant nothing to him. His eyes wouldn't be so…dead. Without hesitation she grabbed the gun and pointed it to his chest._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered, before pulling the trigger._

Gasping for air, Nina shot up, glancing around the simulation room with wild eyes. Four moved to her chair, placing his hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"It isn't real, Nina-"

She pushed him away from her, rather harshly and moved out of the chair, "I know that!" She tried to calm herself down, but it still felt quite real to her, "I know that" She repeated quietly.

"Hunting Divergents is against the rules nowadays, you don't have to-"

She didn't let Four finish and ran out the room, almost bumping into Christina who was apparently done for today. Christina cursed when she ran past her, but she didn't stop to apologize. Nina didn't know where she was going, but she just wanted to be away from everyone, Dauntless leaders mostly.

* * *

Eric frowned when Four and Tris were waiting for him outside the compound, both looking concerned. That was definitely not a good sign. Tori placed her hand on his arm and walked past the couple who approached him warily.

"What?"

Four shared a look with his girlfriend, before he faced Eric again, "Nina went through a rough simulation earlier. She isn't calming down and won't let us approach her-"

"How long ago was this?" He asked, brushing past Four and Tris to enter the compound, "Where is she?"

"Fifteen minutes ago." Tris answered firmly, "She is hiding in the hallway near the drinking fountain."

Eric headed straight for the hallway Tris mentioned, frowning when Four suddenly grabbed his arm to stop him, "You were in her simulation, Eric-" Four tightened his grip on Eric's arm when Eric tried to pull away, "You're her first fear."

He stopped in his tracks, feeling his heart constrict painfully. Him being one of her fears was the last thing he expected to happen, especially since they slightly moved forward in their relationship.  
Eric frowned when Tiffany approached them, handing Four a black case. Four released Eric, and opened the case, revealing the syringe to him.

"We aren't sure if you can calm her down, so we've prepared this."

Eric glared at Four, pushing past him, "We're not sedating her!"

Four and Tris followed after him, "We might not have a choice, Eric." Four shot back.

Eric slowed his pace when he saw her, sitting on the ground while she leaned back against the wall. She looked up when she heard them approach her.

"Nina?" Four asked, holding the black case behind his back while he stood beside Eric, "You faced your fear and finished the simulation within ten minutes, that's a very good time-"

"I don't care about my time!" She sounded angry, "I just want you to stay away from me." Her voice died down and she actually looked more frightened than angry to him.

"Nina, everything is going to be fine." He tried to make his voice sound neutral as he stepped forward again, holding up his hands while he approached her like she was a wounded animal, "Let me help you, okay?"

She suddenly rose to her feet, a deadly look in her piercing blue eyes. He had seen this deviant look in her eyes before. It was when they first met, back then she viewed him as her enemy. Seeing this look back in her eyes actually hurt his feelings.

"Don't come near me, Eric!" She warned him.

"Eric, you don't understand." Four whispered to him, "Her fear-"

"Her fear doesn't matter." Eric didn't lower his voice, and stared straight into those deviant eyes of the girl who looked at him as if she was ready to strangle him with her bare hands, "We're not in a simulation anymore, Nina, so you need to calm down!"

"I'm fully aware that I'm not in a simulation anymore." She sounded less hysterical than a minute ago, "The simulation actually woke me up…I mean what the hell was I thinking-" She started to pace back and forth, causing all of them to stop in their tracks and eye her suspiciously, "I mean you were haunting Divergents and actually killed them and I-" She snorted, shaking her head, "And I-"

"He is not that guy anymore." Tris speaking up and actually defending him caused Eric to be speechless, he had no idea what Nina's fear was about but he was slightly getting the picture now, "I know your simulation must have been tough, trust me, I know what you're dealing with, but Eric doesn't mean you any harm, Nina."

She didn't seem to trust Tris though, she still glared at him. He needed to have a serious conversation with her about his intentions apparently, but they couldn't have one if she kept being hysterical. He grabbed the syringe from the black case Four was holding and moved past Four who sighed and shook his head.  
He narrowed his eyes on her when she raised her hands to defend herself. She was tough, but she was no match for him. It wasn't like she could go past two Dauntless leaders and Tris.

She backed up against the wall, "Don't." She whispered, shaking her head.

He grabbed her wrist when she aimed her first punch to his stomach and pulled her roughly to him, inserting the needle into her arm. He handed the syringe back to Four, his eyes locked with hers. He saw the light slowly fade in her eyes and scooped her up in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest.

"I need to see the report of her simulation." He told Four calmly as he walked past the Stiff, "I need it before she wakes up, Four, so you have an hour."

Four didn't look pleased with the way he ordered him around, but he didn't protest. His eyes were filled with concern. Just when they thought they'd have a smooth initiation this year, the girl he was attracted to lost it and actually looked at him as if he was her enemy. The thought of her changing her feelings within a second actually angered him.

"Where are you taking her?" Tris called.

"My apartment."

His answer made her share a look with Four, "Do you think that's a good idea?" She asked louder when he still kept walking, she followed after him while her boyfriend walked in the opposite direction, "You're her fear, Eric."

"I won't accept that." He told her firmly, "We were perfectly fine, we just need to talk about it."

"I agree, you do need to talk." Tris frowned, "But maybe not today."

"We need to face this now before it will get worse. This is the first time we needed to sedate an initiate because they lost it after the fear simulation-" Eric frowned, "Tell your boyfriend to bring me that report as soon as possible."

He quickened his pace and didn't hear her footsteps following him anymore. He guessed she knew this conversation was over, even if she didn't agree with his decision. He just couldn't accept that Nina would see him as her enemy, he couldn't bear the thought of it.  
He rushed to his apartment, walking past Four and Tris's apartment which was located in the beginning of the hallway, Tori's apartment next and finally Harrison's before he reached his. He somehow managed to duck into his pocket to grab his keys and opened the door, kicking it closed behind him.  
He stalked through the spacious living room and entered his cool bedroom, placing her carefully in the middle of the bed. He observed her from head to toe, taking a seat right next to her. He reached for her feet and carefully peeled her combats boots off, throwing them aside in the corner of the room. He placed his hand on her cheek and felt his anger fade when she nuzzled into his touch. Whatever she faced that afternoon messed her up, and when she woke up again he'd make sure she'd forget about that silly fear of hers.

* * *

Groaning Nina rolled to her back and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the dull lighting in the room. She couldn't remember going to bed, aside from that the bed she was laying on felt more comfortable than the small bed she had slept in for the past week. Her eyes widened in realization, and she shot up, gripping the sheets in her hands and glanced around the room.

"You're up." Eric's voice made the memories flash through her mind like a film, "How do you feel?"

She gripped her arm, remembering Eric pushed a needle into her arm to sedate her. She felt fine for someone who challenged two Dauntless leaders and a leader in training because she had lost it after her simulation. She felt a bit light headed and thirsty. Eric handed her a glass of water, and for once she was glad he could see right through her because she didn't have to ask for what she needed.

She emptied the glass of water before she dared to look at Eric again, "Confused." She said answering Eric's question, "Tired and angry."

"You're not physically in pain?" Eric asked, taking the empty glass of water from her, and placing it on the nightstand.

She shook her head, "I'm a bit light headed." She answered tightly and pushed the sheets away, "I should go-"

Eric stood at the edge of the bed, folding his arms across his chest, "You're not leaving before we have talked this over." He looked a lot more intimidating than usual.

She clutched the sheets in her hands, forcing herself to look him in the eye, "Can I have some painkillers first, I'm sure I need a clear head for this conversation."

He walked to the nightstand, grabbing the empty glass and headed to the door, "The bottle is in the first drawer." He called over his shoulder, leaving the room to fill her glass with water.

She rolled to the right side of the bed, opening the first drawer. She roomed through his stuff, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the familiar silver packages in his drawer. She quickly grabbed the bottle and slammed the drawer shut in a rush. She knew he probably had girls over since he was older than her and wasn't in a relationship, but seeing the silver packages definitely hurt a lot more than she thought.

"You found it?"

She held up the bottle, "Got it."

Eric took a seat next to her, thankfully keeping some distance between them. While she took her medicine she studied his face, he looked pissed, and she didn't blame him. She couldn't remember what she had done clearly, but she did know that she freaked out to the point they needed to sedate her.

"I've read the report about your simulation." Eric started, "Do you remember your fear simulation?"

She remembered the fear she had felt when the faceless soldiers pointed a gun to William's head. Eric's rough command to be a good soldier and follow orders had made her so frightened she couldn't move, until she looked him in the eyes. His eyes were so expressionless she remembered that it couldn't possibly be the real Eric. What scared her more was that she was able to shoot him without thinking twice about it.

"I killed you." She whispered, "You were a threat to my family so I killed you."

"I was a threat to your family." Eric repeated, narrowing his eyes on her, "Do you honestly believe that I would still hunt Divergents? That I would turn my back to the system and hurt innocent people?"

"I've said that to you, didn't I?" She buried her face in her hands, forcing herself not to burst out in tears, "I was confused, Eric, I didn't mean any of it-"

"It sounded like you meant it." He didn't sound pleased, "That you thought that I would hurt you. You were angry at everyone, but mostly at yourself for having feelings for me." He grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her face so he could look at her, "Whatever is going on between us, we can end it now-"

She pushed forward, gripping the front of his shirt tightly in her hands which had him blinking in surprise since she moved so suddenly, and actually touched him. A few hours ago she didn't want him near her, and now she was touching him. He didn't know how to respond to that.

"I know I've hurt you by the things I've said before." She trailed her hands over his chest and cupped his face, "You won't admit it, because you're not that type of guy, but I know…" She brushed her thumb over his lower lip, her eyes fixed on his lips, "I knew the simulation wasn't real because of the way you looked at me."

"Why did you freak out like that if you knew it wasn't real?"

She pulled away, placing her palms flatly on the sheets, "So many things were going through my head, Eric, I was scared that you are still that guy and after that I hated myself for being able to shoot someone I care for without hesitating, even if it isn't real."

Eric finally reached out to her, and she welcomed his touch. He placed his hand on the back of her head and moved forward, pressing a kiss to her jaw.

"Tris brought some soup over, she said it will make you feel better." He softly trailed his fingers over her cheek before he pulled away, "Do you want it?"

She nodded and smiled when he moved out of the room and told her to stay in bed. He didn't use sweet words to calm her down, he didn't sugarcoat anything, but he still made her feel slightly better. His actions did tell her he cared. That was all she needed.


	10. Mask of Confidence

Thank you: momo9411, Vex, AndTheSnakesStartToSing, FarkSpark, Anna, spobydelights, RougeReaper and Harry who left me a review. Keep in mind that English is not my first language – so yes there will be some mistakes in my story!

**Chapter Ten – Mask of Confidence**

* * *

Nina rolled over when she felt someone shake her, muttering some rude words to whoever dared to wake her up, "Go away."

"You're in my bed, so you're not in the position to chase me out of my apartment."

Nina's eyes snapped open when she heard that familiar rough voice. She gulped, realizing she wasn't in the dorm. If she rolled over she'd meet those intimidating pale eyes. She needed a minute to encourage herself to face him, especially after the drama she had caused yesterday.

"Are you getting up anytime soon?"

He sounded impatient, but amused at the same time. Nina took a deep breath, and finally rolled to her back, glancing at the tall Dauntless leader.

"It better be seven in the morning, otherwise I'll kick your ass."

Eric's brows lifted at hearing her threat, a wide grin spreading across his face, "I'm very tempted to take you to the mat and see what you've got, but we don't have the time. It's half past six, if you want to take a decent shower, you better get your lazy ass out of bed and head to the bathroom." He pointed to the door behind him.

She bit her lip, imagining how great it would be to take a long, hot shower without worrying about someone walking in on her, though she wouldn't mind if Eric walked in on her. Smirking mischievously she let her eyes wander over Eric, he had a knowing look in his eyes, but she didn't care if he knew what she was thinking about. She rolled out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom before he'd change his mind.

"Do you feel better?"

His question may have sounded simple to anyone else, but she knew him. He was concerned about her mental state, he was her first fear after all. She wondered if he kept his distance from her because of that.

She leaned against the doorpost, "I feel better." She answered, "I think I can deal with it, if I have to go through it again."

Eric turned to look at her, and folded his arms across his chest. His t-shirt tightened around his chest, making him look that much sexier. If he kept that up she would need a cold shower instead.

"You have to." He answered coldly, "Do you regret your decision?"

She felt her heart squeeze when he asked her that, "I don't regret anything! Why do you doubt me?"

He just shook his head and glanced at his watch, emphasizing his impatience to her. She rolled her eyes and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.  
She eyed the cupboard and decided she had the right to search for a toothbrush and use it since Eric did offer her his bathroom. She opened the cupboard and was amazed to see how organized it was. She easily found a container with spare toothbrushes and grabbed a white colored one since by the looks of it Eric's was blue. Smiling from ear to ear she brushed her teeth, feeling a lot better than yesterday. After rinsing she headed for the amazing looking shower. She opted for lukewarm water instead since her tattoo was still healing.  
After taking a quick shower she wrapped herself up in a towel and carefully opened the bathroom door, peeking to see if Eric was still in the bedroom. When she didn't see a sign of him anywhere she stepped inside, and headed for the bed where a small bag was awaiting her. She couldn't help but to smile when she roamed through it, finding some of her clothes neatly packed.  
Eric didn't use sweet words to show her he cared, but the little things he did for her was enough to let her know that she was definitely important to him. She quickly put some underwear on and a pair of tight black pants, grabbing the lotion to apply to her tattoo. She nearly dropped it when she heard Eric clear his throat and spun around, facing him.

"Need some help with that?"

"Do you always walk in on girls like that?"

Eric didn't look embarrassed at all as he approached her, "What makes you think this is a regular thing for me?" He grabbed the bottle without asking for it and motioned for her to turn so he could apply the lotion.

"I don't know…The huge pile of condoms in your drawer would be a reason for me to think that."

She bit her lip the moment she blurted that out, wanting to slap herself for speaking her mind without thinking twice about it. Eric stopped for a minute, his eyes scanning over her face, but she refused to turn her head to look him in the eyes.

"Did you go through my stuff-"

That made her turn to look at him, "I didn't! You told me to grab the painkillers from your drawer, remember?" She didn't care she was kind of yelling at him while standing in her bra.

It annoyed her that he kept his cool while he eyed her amusingly, "No need to freak out like that, Nina." He gestured for her to turn again, and helped her move when she kept staring at him with those angry piercing blue eyes, "Do you want me to lie about my life before I met you?"

She frowned, trying to ignore the warmth of his hand that rubbed the lotion gently on her skin, "You know I could tell if you were lying."

He stepped back when he was finished and spun the cap back on the bottle, placing the bottle back in her small bag, "I hooked up with random women occasionally."

"Am I a random hook-up?" She asked tensely.

"Do you think everyone would make such a big deal out of us being together if you were a random hook-up?"

"I guess not…"

She grabbed a tank top from her bag and carefully slipped it on, biting back a smirk when Eric handed her one of his sweatshirts. Without a word she shrugged it on, roaming through her bag once more to see if he packed her make-up bag.

"You forgot my make-up bag!" She pouted.

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her hand and led her out of his bedroom, "I just grabbed the essentials."

"My make-up supplies are my essentials!"

"The simulations start in an hour, and I have a meeting in half an hour-" He glanced over his shoulder, giving her a stern look, "So could you hurry up so we can have breakfast together?"

She tightened her grip on his hand, "You're rushing me because you want to have breakfast together?" She asked, dazed, "Here I thought we could make-out first…"

She smirked when Eric bumped onto the edge of the couch when she said that. She tried hard to fight back the burst of laughter, she knew Eric wouldn't appreciate it if she laughed at him. He released her hand and spun around, looking as intimidating as ever.  
She stepped forward, not giving him time to react and placed her palm firmly against his chest, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss to the corner of his mouth. She heard him take in a sharp breath and knew she had him. Slowly she trailed her hand down his chest, and let it rest against his firm stomach. Her eyes widened when she felt him grab the end of her hair and titled her head back, covering her lips with his, kissing her quite roughly.

He pulled away, leaving her out of breath, "Don't start something you can't finish…" He warned her and spun on his heels again, "If you don't hurry up I'll leave without you."

"You're already leaving without me." She mumbled, following after him while she tried to even her breathing.

Eric pushed through the heavy door of the dining hall and headed straight for his table. She glanced at the table where her friends usually sat, but it was still empty. She was here earlier than usual since Eric had a meeting in half an hour. She passed the table where her friends usually sat, and took a seat next to Eric. Four and Tris were already having breakfast, quietly talking about some private matters. They stopped once she and Eric joined them and looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" Tris asked carefully.

"I'm fine, guys, stop asking if I'm okay."

"You were hysterical yesterday-" Eric snorted, "Of course people are going to ask if you're okay."

She glared at the guy who was filling up his plate, "You're supposed to be on my side…"

He met her gaze, his eyes shining playfully. She kicked him underneath the table and jumped when she felt a sharp pinch to her side. She almost forgot about his warning the other day, he did tell her _two could play that game_. She guessed it didn't matter what game she was playing, he'd participate.

"Did you divide the initiates yet?" Eric asked, placing his hand on top of her thigh.

She tried to sit completely still, but it was hard when the warmth of his touch burned on her skin. She shifted a bit, trying to get more comfortable.

"Yes-" Four glanced at her with a serious look in his eyes, "You're last so Eric can oversee your simulation-"

She coughed, placing her cup of water back on the table while she tried to catch her breath, "What?!" She cleared her throat, "I mean...Eric is my boyfriend-"

"They're being cautious with you because you threw a tantrum during your last simulation." Eric explained, when Four just looked away, "Apparently being your boyfriend gives me the privilege of holding your hand when you threaten the leadership of Dauntless."

The fork she was holding slipped through her fingers when she felt Eric slide his hand higher, his fingers rubbing the inside of her thigh. He definitely stepped up this game they played. She could see him smirking from the corner of her eyes.

"It's not that." Tris frowned at Eric, "Eric was the only person who could calm you down."

She wanted to listen to Four and Tris's explanation but it was hard to focus on them when Eric was feeling her up. She bit her lip, trying to fight back the intense feeling that burned between her thighs. She mentally thanked Tori who loudly wished them a good morning and took a seat next to Eric, causing him to pull back.

"So Four and I are visiting Jack today?" Tori asked, causing Eric to focus on her instead.

Nina listened to them talk boring business and smiled when Eric pressed his arm against hers, letting her know that he was still there for her. She played around with the food on her plate and looked up when Lacey called her name. She hadn't seen her friends since they started the simulations yesterday, she knew they were worried about her. Particularly Lacey, Katie and Aaron. She glanced at Eric, but he was still talking to Tori, to some it would look like arguing but she could hear them joking around while talking business. They had a weird relationship, she stopped trying to understand it.  
She stood up and headed for her friends, feeling Eric's gaze on her the moment she left his side. She didn't say anything to him, because she didn't want to interrupt his conversation with Tori.

"Where have you been? You disappeared again!" Lacey shook her head at her, "When you want to be alone, just tell us, don't disappear for hours and pop up like nothing is wrong!"

Nina felt a bit awkward, wrapping her arms protectively around herself, "I didn't do it on purpose. I freaked out after my fear simulation. Four, Tris and Eric had to sedate me to keep me from hurting them or myself…"

She had never seen her friends so silent before. They shared a look before Lacey stepped forward and pulled Nina in a tight hug.

"Are you in trouble?" She whispered quietly.

Smiling, Nina hugged Lacey back with just as much force, "No, I'm fine." She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Eric raising an eyebrow at her in question, "I'm more than fine. We definitely need to talk soon."

Lacey pulled away, the look in her eyes shining knowingly, "I saw that." She said playfully, "We _definitely_ need to talk!"

* * *

Eric watched Cara cautiously who entered their meeting room, a skinny, blonde assistant following right behind her. Cara took the seat Tori offered her and made some small talk with her, while Eric settled in his chair, the assistant sitting right across him.

"This place changed a lot after my last visit." Cara sounded cold and uncaring, "So just two and half months before your duties to Candor are over."

He knew that's why Cara, one of the leaders of Erudite was pissed. Unlike Erudite, Dauntless has proven to the other factions to be whole again. They proved their loyalty to the city and were close to being independent again. No more reports and long meetings with Jack to prove to the other factions that they weren't thinking of starting a war again.  
He knew Erudite wasn't even close to proof their loyalty. The other factions still doubted them since they were struggling to find the right leadership. Cara was named one of the leaders of Erudite by Jack because he trusted her. The other positions were still looking to be filled…with the help of Candor of course. He knew how Erudite felt about that, it was written all over Cara's face.

"We're doing fine." Eric admitted firmly, "We're not here to discuss our duties to the city, though." He narrowed his eyes on her, "You agreed to help us with the fear landscapes, have you changed your mind, Cara?"

Cara straightened her back, her eyes hardening, "Of course we haven't changed our decision to help you, Eric. We provide you the serum and help you watch over the system while you put your initiates through their final test." She glanced at the woman next to her, "Abnegation has requested for a Candor supervisor, so you can expect either Jack or William to contact you about the details."

Eric didn't expect anything less, the factions probably got anxious when Erudite and Dauntless were working together.

"We've the serum ready, all we need is for you to tell us the time and date of the final test."

"For the next two weeks we have fear simulations planned for the initiates." Tori made Cara shift her attention to her, "After that they have a week off to mentally prepare themselves for the fear landscape-"

"So in four weeks then." Cara interrupted, glancing at the blonde woman next to her again who was furiously typing on her tablet, "That gives us enough time to set everything up."

"You have a long initiation process…" The blonde started talking to Tori about their initiation, but he tuned it out.

"So we'll be in touch-" Tori nudged him hard, making him stand up and shake hands with Tori and the blonde, "I'll show you out, Cara." Tori gave him a pointed look while she passed him and left the room together with the two women.

He checked his tablet, frowning when he noticed the email he received from Jack. He knew it was inevitable, but it still annoyed him that so many outsiders would be present during their final testing. They'd be watching the initiates struggle to go through their worst fears, it didn't feel right to have so many people around during such an emotional struggle.  
The fact that William, Nina's brother, would be the supervisor irritated him more. He never had to deal with older brothers before, he had no clue how to deal with this. He had met William plenty of times to know that the guy was very professional. A perfect recruit for Candor's leadership.

Tori slammed the door firmly shut behind her, and dropped into the seat across from Eric, "Did you notice Amanda?" She asked, her face contorting with disapproval, "That was fucking inappropriate and made my breakfast come back up.."

Eric frowned, "Who is Amanda?"

"The girl who was eye fucking you." Tori snorted, "The blonde who assisted Cara." She mumbled, rolling her eyes.

He looked up from his tablet, looking at Tori as if she lost her mind, "You're imagining things-"

Tori threw her head back and actually had the guts to laugh loudly, her whole body vibrating while she laughed at him, "I forgot you only have eyes for your girl so you don't notice these things anymore, but trust me, that girl wanted to rip your clothes off and do you right here." Tori gestured to their table.

It was weird when people referred to Nina as his girl, but she was his. That didn't mean that he was oblivious to other women's attempts to flirt with him though, so he doubted Tori's judgment.

"Trust me, she wants you." Tori sounded a bit too amused for his liking, "I can't wait for the fear landscapes." She wiggled her eyebrows at him, "Can you imagine the look on Amanda's face when she realizes you already have a girl in your life."

"You act like I haven't dated before." Eric let out a tired sigh, "Nina is just the first girl I've been seen with in public-"

"Fucking women is not the same as being in a relationship, Eric."

Eric pushed his chair back and got to his feet, "We're done here."

He had no interest in talking about his feelings or his current relationship with Tori. He knew that Tori was right about a lot of things, but he hated when other people were right. He placed his small tablet back in his inner jacket pocket and left the room, leaving a smirking Tori behind.

* * *

Nina slid down against the wall, sitting on the floor together with Lacey, far away from the other initiates to have a private conversation. It was very much needed to have a girl talk, since she knew Lacey would understand what she was going through. She preferred talking to Lacey about her relationship with Eric instead of Katie.

"So you stayed at his place?" Lacey's eyes were shining with curiosity, "And you're telling me nothing happened?" Lacey was whispering but she could tell how excited her friend was about this subject.

"Didn't you listen to the part where I told you they decided to sedate me?"

Lacey faked a smile, "I'm sorry…I was distracted by the fact that your boyfriend has a drawer full of condoms." Lacey pulled her legs up, and propped her elbows on her knees, titling her head back so she could concentrate on Nina.

Nina bumped her head against the wall, "Lace, please focus, what am I going to do with that?"

"Use them, obviously." Lacey chuckled, "What else could you do?"

Nina blushed dark red, Lacey's simple decision wasn't as simple as her friend made it sound. She knew she wanted Eric, she didn't doubt that for a second. Yet it also scared her to move to that stage of their relationship.

"Don't fucking tell me you never done it before!-"

Nina clamped her hand over Lacey's mouth and glanced around the room. Somehow there were only eight initiates left. They didn't seem to pay any attention to their surroundings, probably mentally preparing themselves. Katie and Aaron were no longer in the room, so either they already went through their fears or were now facing their fear.

"There was no one around who I wanted to do it with." Nina whispered back harshly, "You're saying that Aaron wasn't your…"

"First?" Lacey asked amused, "No, he wasn't, and I wasn't his." She narrowed her eyes on Nina, "Never thought you'd be so Abnegation about it."

Nina's eyebrows shot up at Lacey's choice of words, "Don't say that in front of Four, he might double your doses if you keep insulting Abnegation like that."

Lacey brushed her off, "Your hand was practically in Eric's pants during lunch the previous day, yet you never slept with anyone?" She shook her head in disbelief, "Why? How..I mean this is very confusing. Does Eric know you're a virgin?"

Nina avoided Lacey's question, "You knew about that?!"

Now it was her turn to clamp a hand over her mouth to shut herself up. For a moment she forgot they were in a waiting room, waiting to face their worst fears. Glancing around the room, there were only six people left. In a brief moment Eric would change shifts with Four, and they could no longer speak freely about this subject. They had to finish their conversation quickly.

"Your foreplay wasn't that subtle." Lacey shrugged, "I get why you'd change your mind about sex when you're dating Eric…Doesn't the condom drawer bother you though?"

Nina wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very cold, "Doesn't Aaron's past bother you?" She asked curiously.

Lacey nodded, "I do wonder about the girls he slept with." She admitted without blinking once, "But I have the privilege of never bumping into them, you on the other hand might have actually met one of Eric's exes already…Doesn't that bother you?"

She bit her lip, now that Lacey put that idea up in her head, she was freaking out about it. She hated feeling jealous about something so stupid, of course Eric dated other girls before. She just never stopped to wonder about it, until now.

"God, thanks Lace for putting that in my head." She mumbled, glancing at the door which suddenly was pulled open, "Lacey." Eric called, his eyes focused on her and her blonde friend.

Lacey frowned as she slowly got to her feet, "I thought Four-"

Nina got up as well, "Four is heading to Candor." She answered Lacey's question, taking a seat across Brandon who was anxiously tapping his foot.

Nina watched the last initiate enter Christina's room and took a deep breath when Eric opened the door, leaning against the doorpost while he glanced at her, "You ready?" He asked as she walked past him and headed straight for the metal chair.

"I have to be." She whispered, trying to get comfortable in the chair, "The least you could do is get some nicer chairs in here, I mean you're making us suffer for the next two weeks."

"A comfortable chair is the least of your problems, princess." Eric mumbled, his attention focused on the syringe he was preparing for her, "Why did you look so upset earlier?"

She was in no mood to tell Eric about her insecurities, not when she was about to face yet another fear that would probably mess her up. Eric didn't seem to buy her story, but he stopped asking questions which she was grateful for.  
He stepped closer to her chair, and brushed her hair out of the way. His fingers lingering over her sensitive skin while his eyes scanned her face.

"Remember to stay calm." He said in a low, calming tone, "Be brave, Nina."

_Nina glanced around, noticing she was near the chasm. The sound of the water was deafening, and standing close to the railing had her heart beating painfully fast. She gripped the railing, spinning around quickly when she felt someone behind her.  
She frowned seeing Lacey walking past her, a small smile spread across her pale face. That didn't look like her friend. Lacey looked hurt, lifeless and sad. The sadness in her eyes was unbearable. _

"_Lace?"_

_She moved closer to her friend, her heart clenching painfully when Lacey was nearing the edge of the chasm, "Lace stop it!" She started to walk faster but somehow it felt like Lacey was so far away, "Step away, Lacey!"_

_Lacey met her gaze, "I'm sorry.."_

_Nina screamed when her friend stepped forward and let herself fall into the chasm. She slowly walked backwards, hitting the wall. She didn't feel anything though, all she could do was stare at the spot where Lacey was standing. The tears rolled down her cheek. She knew there wasn't anything she could have done, but it still hurt so much. _

"You okay?" Eric asked, helping her sit straight.

She brushed a hand through her hair, trying to calm her breathing down. She closed her eyes, taking a minute to calm herself down and slowly opened them again to meet Eric´s concerned gaze. She slowly reached out to him, placing her hand on his cheek, and moved forward. He didn't move at all, he stayed where he was but did kiss her back, probably because he knew she needed his comfort right now. He slowly pulled away and leaned back in his chair, rolling back to his computer.

"Fear of losing a loved one-" Eric was shutting down the computer, "That's a common one."

She gripped the end of Eric's sweatshirt, which she was wearing and kept her eyes focused on her hands instead, "I guess it's to be expected here at Dauntless."

"You want to talk about it?"

There was actually nothing he could do to make her feel better, she knew it was just a simulation. This time it didn't eat her up like her first fear, she could deal with it. Getting out of the chair she grabbed the back of Eric's chair and spun him around so he faced her.

"I don't want to talk about it." She grabbed his shoulders, straddling him in the small chair, "I want you to kiss it away." She loved the way he gripped her thighs firmly in his hands. It reminded her that this was indeed reality.

He didn't say anything, he just leaned forward and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. The moment his lips touched hers she forgot about everything. She forgot about the intense fear she felt when Lacey jumped into the chasm, she forgot about the pain she had felt when she realized Lacey was dead. Eric could kiss the pain away, he made her forget.  
She pushed her tongue in his mouth, deepening the kiss. Eric didn't seem to mind, he let her explore for a bit before he had enough and took control of the kiss. She moaned when his hands trailed up her thighs and slid underneath her sweatshirt, and tank top.  
His touch felt amazing, leaving a burning trail on her skin. Her nails dug into his jacket when his fingers toyed with her bra clasp. Her face heated when he undid her bra after teasing her for a few seconds and the anticipation of what he was going to do next was making her lose her mind.  
His fingers trailed over her spine, making her body tremble against his. She knew he felt it, and it only made him enjoy it more. She pulled away from his lips, brushing her fingers over his lips. She glanced in his eyes seeing the want clearly in his pale, beautiful eyes. She trailed her lips over his jaw, toward his neck and bit down when she felt his fingers brush over her breast.

"Fuck.." His rough voice vibrated through her body, only exciting her more.

"Eric I-" The door banged loudly against the wall, scaring the both of them with the sudden appearance of Christina, "Oh my god." She covered her eyes and almost bumped into the wall, "That's very inappropriate!" She mumbled, "I'll meet you in your office in a few minutes!" She managed to leave the room without hurting herself and pulled the door shut behind her.

Nina pulled away from Eric, her eyes as wide as plates. She had been so lost into him, she barely registered what they were about to do. His touch had felt so good, she never wanted it to stop. He dragged her out of the dark place she had been in, making her lose herself in him.  
She brushed her fingers through her hair, trying to tame it and watched Eric trying to control his breathing. He looked fine, like nothing had happened while she probably looked like a hot mess. She frowned when Eric got out of his chair and moved to the door.

"Some help would be nice." She murmured, turning around so he could help her with her bra.

She could feel his smirk on her when he moved his hands under the her shirt and tank top and clasped her bra again. She turned around once his hands left her body and fixed up her clothes.

"I have a meeting with Christina. We'll meet at my apartment?"

"I don't have a key…"

He roamed through his pocket and handed her his key, "Don't linger around, go straight back to the apartment and wait up for me, okay?"

She slightly nodded and blinked when Eric pressed a firm kiss to her temple, before spinning on his heels and stalking out of the room. She quietly followed after him and watched him head toward the glass building where his office was located. She glanced at her hand, tightening her hold on the key to his apartment. Fear of moving too fast too soon started to bubble up in her.

* * *

Nina was engrossed in her historical novel, a book which caught her eye when she searched through Eric's huge bookcase. The pain the heroine was feeling actually appealed to her, like she could relate to her. She rolled to her side, gripping the book more tightly. Eric had been in a meeting with Christina for quite some time now, she hated to admit it, but she actually missed his presence. After what happened in the simulation room she felt conflicted about her feelings for him. She knew she wanted him, she wanted to be with him, but at the same time it scared her.

"Nina?"

Her heart raced when she heard his familiar voice boom through the apartment. Just the sound of his voice made the heat flare up in her.

She took a calming deep breath before she answered him, "In here."

She bit her lip, counting Eric's footsteps while he approached the bedroom. A shaky breath left her lips when he did enter the bedroom and slowly approached the bed. His eyes scanning her face.

"What are you reading?"

"A historical novel." She mumbled, "I found it in your huge bookcase…" She sounded amused, "You hide your Erudite side well but-"

"I don't have to be a Dauntless leader in here." He interrupted her, "In here I can be myself, I can let go…" He moved away from her and shrugged out of his jacket, dropping it on the edge of his bed, "I'll make a light dinner."

That made her sit straight and focus her attention on him, "You can cook?"

He pointed to the bookcase, "I've read a few books." He left the room and smirked when he heard her small feet follow after him, "I offered to cook dinner so that you can relax in bed…"

She didn't want to read a book anymore though, she wanted to watch Eric cook. She had a feeling that it would be more amusing than the depressing book which didn't help her chaotic mind at all. Her eyes widened when she felt Eric grab her by her hips and pulled her up effortlessly, letting her sit on the counter. She trailed her fingers over his muscular arms, loving the feel of it.

"You quite done?" He asked amused.

"I can't help myself." She mumbled, batting her eyelashes at him.

He stole a kiss from her and smirked, "I can't help myself."

The sentence somehow sounded that much sexier coming from him. She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to remain quiet while Eric prepared them dinner. She'd choose having a quiet meal with him alone over the crowded dining hall every time.

"What did Christina want?"

Eric didn't look up but she could tell that he rather not answer her question, "What did Lacey want?"

He asked about her conversation with Lacey before, rather subtly, completely different from her approach. Yet she dodged the question and now it annoyed her that he didn't want to answer her question. She knew she was being irrational.

"We talked about boys…"

His brows lifted, "And that upset you?"

He was prepping their plates, making the meal look like a master piece, "I told her about the condom drawer and then she reminded me about all the women I might run into, women you've slept with before. _That_ upset me."

The Candor side of her could never be silenced. Somehow she always blurted out the most inappropriate things without thinking twice about it. She shouldn't have told Eric about her conversation with Lacey, yet somehow the words left her lips.

"I told you that I can't change my past." He reminded her rather calmly.

He moved to the small dining table and set the table. She hopped off the counter and took a seat at the table, glancing at the black bottle Eric placed next to his plate. He poured her some water instead. Once the table was set he took a seat across her and finally looked her in the eyes. He didn't look upset, annoyed or betrayed so she guessed that he didn't mind her talk with Lacey.

"I know that." She stated firmly, "It's just that the thought of running into one of those women still pisses me off. You'd never have to face one of my exes-"

"Exes?" Eric asked "How many guys have you been with."

She blushed when Eric so casually asked about her previous relationships, or relationship, since she only somewhat dated one guy once. He didn't sound upset or jealous but when she saw the heated look in his eyes, she knew that he cared more than he let her believe.

"There had been one guy who has been my first kiss, but that's it." She bit her lip when Eric lifted his eyebrows at her in question, "Fine there might have been some touching, but that's really it." She couldn't believe that Eric actually caught her on a lie, "I'm supposed to be Candor." She mumbled, facing her plate to avoid looking at him.

"So you're a virgin?"

She felt his eyes piercing on her, demanding of her to look at him, but she just couldn't. Her cheeks burned up and for a minute she really considered dashing out of the apartment. She couldn't though, she was Dauntless and she'd face whatever situation she thought was terrifying.

Glancing up she met his curious gaze, "I am."

"Why are you so embarrassed about it?"

She honestly didn't know why it embarrassed her, she usually didn't give a fuck what other people thought of her. Then again, Eric wasn't just another person.

"Because you have a freakin' drawer in your bedroom which reminds me of all the girls you've been with." She straightened in her seat, "How could I compete with that? I have like zero experience, and sometimes I get hysterical and want to kick your ass-"

He actually threw his head back and laughed, loudly, stopping her rambling. He grabbed his bottle firmly in his hand and took a huge gulp, taking his time to calm down. Him being so amused with the subject actually calmed her down as well.

"You're different. If they meant anything to me you wouldn't be here right now." He told her firmly, "Besides that, what are you so worried about? Did it feel like I wasn't enjoying myself in the simulation room?" He leaned forward, "I knew the moment stage two started that you're mask of confidence would crumble."

She clenched her hand around her fork, "What do you mean?"

He leaned back against his chair and took another leisurely sip, "Meaning that you have far more issues than people thought you'd have, but I knew that from the start."

She knew Eric always saw right through her, so it shouldn't have surprised her that he knew about her being far more insecure about herself than she let everyone else believe.

"You're important to me." She admitted to him, "That's why I'm so worried."

Her eyes widened when Eric suddenly rose to his feet and moved around the table, lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She squealed when he headed toward the bedroom and dropped her roughly on the bed. She trembled when he crawled on top of her and hovered over her, staring her right in the eyes.

He kissed her softly on the lips, "You're important to me." He kissed her again, a chuckle leaving his lips when she wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed him more firmly against her, "You really have nothing to worry about." He whispered to her, brushing her hair out of her face.

She grabbed his zipper and slowly unzipped his jacket, "Just shut up and kiss me." She inhaled sharply when he bit her earlobe and slapped his shoulder playfully, "Don't start something you can't finish." She said playfully, using his own words against him.

Snorting Eric grabbed onto her thigh and firmly grasped it, making sure she kept her legs wrapped around him, "I can definitely play this game, but I know that you're not ready." His eyes darkened when she licked her lower lip, "So be careful, Nina."

Her whole body burned up at hearing his words. He was right, she wasn't ready so it was best if she didn't tease him too much since he did consider her feelings.


End file.
